New Jersey 7th District Congressional race heats up as Malinowski battles Kean to hold seat
NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- There's a battle in New Jersey's 7th District for the seat currently held by Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski against his Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr.
The national parties have poured more than $18 million into this race -- a rematch from 2020 when Malinowski won by slightly more than 5,000 votes.
It comes down to ground campaign in the waning days before voters decide who will represent New Jersey's 7th district in Congress.
Malinowsky is in the race of his career featuring a rematch with Kean Jr. Kean lost to Malinowsky by a razor-thin margin two years ago.
Since then the district map has been redrawn, giving the Republican candidate an edge in voters by +3%.
The candidates had a Chamber of Commerce debate a couple weeks ago.
"I'm running for Congress so I can break the back of inflation, responsibly cut the spending coming out of Washington, D.C., " Kean Jr. said.
"I support legislation at the federal level that would restore the rights that the Supreme Court took away from American women," Malinowsky said.
Leading up to election day, Malinowski took a traditional path by meeting voters heading to work.
Kean is counting on the GOP majority to win. In past campaigns, he was active in seeking votes in public places.
The issues New Jersey voters are concerned with are universal -- like women's rights, inflation, and crime reflect the concerns of voters across the country.
Polling suggests the race is neck and neck, which means voter turnout is the key for either candidate to win office.
"We have a lot of early voting and I think people understand how important this race is," Malinowsky said.
The National Republican Party spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on this race because they believe what happens in Jersey could have ripple effects across the country.
Eyewitness News reached out to Kean several times to see if he would like to speak with us, but his PR team said he was not available.
For information on where to find your polling place or how to vote early visit the New Jersey Division of Elections website.
GO VOTE What to know about voting in the Midterm Elections in NY, NJ, and CT
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