The candidates in New Jersey’s most competitive congressional race have agreed on one thing: a radio debate.
How many other times the two will meet ahead of Election Day is still a matter of contention. And the fireworks didn’t wait for their face-to-face meeting.
Democrat Josh Gottheimer, left, is running against Republican incumbent Scott Garrett in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District. (NJ Advance Media file photos) The 5th Congressional District’s Republican incumbent Scott Garrett and Democratic challenger Josh Gottheimer have both accepted a debate invitation from Hackettstown-based radio station WRNJ, to be held 11 a.m. Oct 31.
“This will be a great opportunity for voters … to hear directly from the candidates about each of their ideas, that is if Josh Gottheimer has any ideas of his own,” said a news release from Garrett’s camp.
Gottheimer, a former White House speechwriter, said he accepted the invite despite the station’s broadcast area in heavily Republican Warren andSussex counties. He called on Garrett to attend more debates in Bergen County — and suggested the congressman was avoiding the area over acontroversy involving his stance against gay marriage.
“You would think Scott Garrett would want the chance to defend his record,” Gottheimer said in a news release, “but then again it’s hard to defend bigotry.”
A video on the Gottheimer campaign Facebook page calls Garrett a chicken, using the congressman’s face in an animation of people dancing in chicken suits.
However, Garrett also has accepted a debate scheduled 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at Congregation Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck — one that Gottheimer has asked to have rescheduled.
“As in previous years, the congressman has received other debate invitations. These are the two invitations he has accepted,” Garrett’s campaign toldlehighvalleylive.com in response to Gottheimer’s criticism. “If Josh Gottheimer is truly interested in debating the congressman, rather than scoring political points, he’ll attend these two debates.”
Gottheimer’s campaign said he has accepted the Teaneck debate, but requested it be moved because an invite for the same night from the League of Women Voters came first. The challenger has also accepted debate invitations for Sept. 19 at the Fair Lawn Jewish Center and an as-yet-unscheduled meeting at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District covers parts of Warren, Sussex, Passaic and Bergen counties. Garrett has represented it since 2002.
Nationally, both parties are looking at typically Republican suburban districts as potential battlegrounds, according to a recent New York Times report in which one Democratic strategist specifically mentioned the 5th District. NJ.com previously reported the race could be among the most expensive House contests in the nation.
Both Garrett and Gottheimer released TV ads within the last week.
Garrett’s accuses his opponent of lies and an agenda beholden to special interests. The campaign has repeatedly tied Gottheimer to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
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