As election day draws near, TV airwaves in New Jersey’s 7th District have been saturated with attack ads for its Congressional race. The largely suburban district is among the most tightly contested in the nation, drawing attention from both political parties battling for control of Congress. Incumbent Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski looks to keep a seat, which voted reliably for Republican Congressman Leonard Lance until Malinowski flipped the district blue in the 2018 midterm elections. Malinowski’s five-point victory in 2018 was part of a larger shift in the district towards the Democratic party, which has made inroads with college-educated whites and minority voters. However, Hillary Clinton won by only 1.1 points in this district in 2016, giving Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr. hope that the district can be flipped back to red. Kean Jr., a Pingry alumnus, is the Minority Leader in the New Jersey Senate, and son of former governor Tom Kean.
Both candidates present themselves as moderate, independent-minded pragmatists, while painting the other as a radical who would sell out the district for their party. Malinowski and Kean both support increased funding for infrastructure projects in the district, eliminating the SALT tax deduction cap, and increasing healthcare affordability. Malinowski has touted his pledge to not receive any corporate PAC money and his delivery of millions in aid for small businesses during the pandemic, while Kean has drawn upon his history of public service and willingness to work across the aisle. Though the district leans Democratic, a lack of polling in recent months has made predicting the result of this race a difficult task.