2008 Candidates for Congress - NJ Seventh District (description)
This page was update 05/23/2008
Primary is Tuesday, June 3, - General Election is Tuesday, November 4
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See debate video - The seven GOP candidates debated national issues for an hour before an overflow audience at Mountainside on Thursday, May 22, 2008. DVDs will be prepared for local access TV stations [call (908) 232-4407]. See Details of Debate of May 22.

Candidate's Debate of Thursday, May 22 in Mountainside, See details

The Republican Primary race in the 7th Congressional District features State Senator Leonard Lance (LD-23, Flemington), Kate Whitman, the daughter of former Governor Christine Todd Whitman; Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks; former Summit City Council President Kelly Hatfield, Tom Roughneen of Watchung, A.D. Amar of Warren, a professor at Seton Hall University, and Darren Young of Summit, who is running on the ballot line with Senate candidate Murray Sabrin.

The Democrat Primary race in the 7th Congressional District is uncontested, featuring State Assemblywoman Linda Stender (LD-22) from Fanwood.

New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Mike Ferguson, who is not seeking reelection. The district contains portions of four counties and 54 municipalities.
Hunterdon County: Alexandria Township, Bethlehem Township, Bloomsbury, Califon, Clinton, Clinton Township, Flemington, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge, Holland Township, Lebanon, Lebanon Township, Milford, Raritan Township, Readington, Tewksbury Township, Union Township
Middlesex County: Edison (part), South Plainfield, Woodbridge Township (part)
Somerset County: Bedminster Township, Bound Brook, Branchburg Township, Bridgewater Township (part), Far Hills, Green Brook Township, Hillsborough Township, Manville, Millstone, Montgomery Township, North Plainfield, Peapack-Gladstone, Rocky Hill, South Bound Brook, Warren Township, Watchung
Union County: Berkeley Heights, Clark, Cranford, Fanwood, Garwood, Kenilworth, Linden (part), Mountainside, New Providence, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Summit, Union Township (part), Westfield, Winfield.

An Interview with each GOP candidate is complete. Videos of the interviews are posted here. An article of each interview will be included in our newspapers. Your comments submitted will be considered for inclusion in the debate. Thank you.

GOP Candidates Debate May 22, 2008 - See Video

Debate: GOP Congress 7th District Candidate’s on May 22 in Mountainside

The Union County GOP Candidate’s Debate sponsored by The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times will be held on Thursday, May 22 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm at the Mountainside Borough Hall. All seven candidates are participating.

The public is invited to attend and submit topics for discussion by email in advance to .

The event will be videotaped and aired on the Internet at www.goleader.com. DVDs will be provided to local access TV stations.

Candidates submitted 5 topics to be considered for discussion. The newspaper editorial board will finalize the questions. The general topics are posted on this site.

Fred Rossi of the newspaper staff will be the moderator, and a timekeeper will be provided. A matrix for the questions and responses will be prepared by the newspaper such that all candidates will be provided equal time for the hour’s event. Each candidate will be provided 2 minutes for a closing statement.

Information on the primary race is posted and updated regularly at www.goleader.com/08congress

Update May 19: Candidates Debate in Mountainside
GOP for Congress, 7th District
Sponsored by The Westfield Leader and The Times
Thursday, May 22 – 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Format and Details

Seven Candidates: Tom Roughneen, A.D. Amar, Sen. Leonard Lance, Kate Whitman, Mayor Martin Marks, Darren Young, Kelly Hatfield

Open to the Public and the Press: Seating capacity is 100 persons
Duration: 1 hour

Moderator: Fred Rossi

Introduction: Fred Rossi, one minute

Round 1: Multi-part Questions each candidate, 2 minutes each (15 minutes).
(Example only: Candidate XXX, please discuss your position on illegal immigration, health care and taxes.)

Round 2: Multi-part Questions each candidate, 2 minutes each (15 minutes).
(Example only: Candidate YYY, according to polls, the public has a low esteem for government; why is this and what will you do about it? Can the power of special interests be broken? Is getting elected now only for the rich?)

Round 3: Rebuttal Round, 2 minutes each (15 minutes).
(Example only: Candidate ZZZ, how do you disagree with what has been said tonight or what has not been discussed that you believe to be important?)

Round 4: Seven Closing Statements, 2 minutes each (15 minutes).

Closing: Fred Rossi, 1-2 minutes

The newspaper will provide DVDs of the event to each candidate and to interested local cable access TV stations. The video will be on www.goleader.com

Please arrive 15 minutes early to review final event details. Call Horace Corbin, (908) 232-4407 with any questions – or email 

Timekeeper will hold up a yellow warning card when 30 seconds remain to end a statement; a red card will be held up to stop; moderator will interrupt if necessary when time is up.

Topics: Candidates, please be prepared to discuss the economy, Iraq War, Right to Life/Free Choice, health care, illegal immigrants, taxes and IRS, NJ’s fair share, special interests, corruption, pork, public’s confidence in government, gas price, energy policy, money in campaigns, status of GOP, Primary versus General Election, 7th District, DEM contender Linda Stender, Representatives living in DC, small businesses, national security, terrorism, Iran, Syria, North Korea, balance of trade, fair trade, export of jobs, veterans, sanctuary cities, education, America’s priorities, Government bureaucracy, global warming, environment, true conservative?, qualifications to serve, Presidential race, NJ’s Senate race, Immigration Reform, Detainees Guantanamo Bay, War on Drugs, GI Bill, Patriot Act, Inflation, Social Security.

Thank you everyone for your cooperation and good luck.

Horace Corbin
Publisher
(908) 232-4407 with any questions.

Event schedule and seating order (selected by random draw)

Seating, view toward dais, left to right: Amar, Hatfield, Young, Lance, Roughneen, Marks, Whitman.

7:30 Start, Welcome and Introduction

Order of Round 1 Questions from Moderator (2 mins. each)
1. Marks, 2. Whitman, 3. Hatfield, 4. Young, 5. Roughneen, 6. Amar, 7. Lance

Order of Round 2 Questions from Moderator (2 mins. each)
1. Young, 2. Hatfield, 3. Amar, 4. Roughneen, 5. Whitman, 6. Lance, 7. Marks

Order of Round Three, Rebuttals or additional statement (2 mins. each)
1. Lance, 2. Marks, 3. Roughneen, 4. Hatfield, 5. Amar, 6. Young, 7. Whitman

Order of Round Four Closing Statements (2 mins. each)
1. Amar, 2. Roughneen, 3. Lance, 4. Whitman, 5. Marks, 6. Hatfield, 7. Young