Rahway debate hosts two congressional candidates

By Cal Sutton and Andi Arroyo

On Sept. 27, members of the Rider community went up to Rahway, New Jersey, to volunteer at a congressional debate between Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr., and Democratic candidate Rebecca Bennett for the state’s 7th district.

Hosted by Rider and the New Jersey Globe, the debate was held at the Union County Performing Arts Center’s Hamilton Stage Auditorium and started promptly at 7 p.m.

The debate held in Rahway was thanks to Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics and David Wildstein, the editor-in-chief of the New Jersey Globe. 

The two co-moderated the debate and asked each candidate questions about what they are running on during this campaign season. Tough questions were asked from the moment candidates took the stage.

Kean’s absence from Congress

For the debate’s opening question, Kean was asked about his near four-month absence from the public eye, which was cited as an emergency hospitalization due to depression.

Wildstein asked Kean, “You chose not to disclose that you were receiving mental health treatment during a four-month absence from Congress. Without asking you to reveal private medical details, why should the public regard that decision as responsible confidentiality rather than insufficient transparency?”

Kean’s absence from Congress has been a hot topic through recent months during the time he has spent preparing for another run for a congressional seat.

“We were very clear with our constituents, as well the press, that we were seeking medical treatment. And when things got updated over time, we kept everybody updated, and we were also very transparent. And we spoke on the House floor about my condition of depression, and make sure we want to get rid of the stigma associated with any mental health issues,” Kean said.

War in the Middle East

Multiple questions were posed to Kean and Bennett about the war in Iran. 

Bennett stated that she believed the rising energy costs were due to the war.

“The reason why we’re seeing this is because of this unnecessary war that is happening in the Middle East right now, which my opponent, Congressman Tom Kean Jr., has voted three times for,” Bennett said. “What I will say is that any time you’re going to go put American service members in harm’s way, there needs to be a clear motivation, clear objective and a clear exit strategy. And we have not seen any of that from this administration … We need to end the war in Iran to make sure that you’re bringing those costs down.”

Kean made the argument that the United States needs to take a stand against Iran, instead of ending it.

“My opponent says, ‘we trust them because they don’t want nukes,’” Kean said. “We know that they want nukes. You can’t say that they shouldn’t have nukes and then do nothing about it, that’s insane.”

A wider scope

Bennett and Kean were asked questions covering a wide range of ideas and current issues across the country, and even globally.

Through tough questions, sarcastic laughter and even applause came from the crowd. In one instance, candidates took 10 seconds to address their constituents in the crowd, asking them to be respectful.

Important topics within the scope of this debate were sick leave, energy prices, the cost of living, artificial intelligence and the candidates’ outlook on America’s current landscape.

Guided by Rider

The debate was co-hosted by Rider and the New Jersey Globe, giving students a close look into the political process. During his time with Rider, Rasmussen has given political science students an array of opportunities to step into the field.

Rasmussen was one of the two moderators of the debate, alongside Wildstein. Rasmussen makes it a point to find chances to help students who are involved in political science get real-world experiences while still in college. A large portion of this is through volunteer work opportunities, such as assisting at debates.

“It’s wonderful that students are getting this    hands-on experience. It’s wonderful that they’re learning how to produce these events,” Rasmussen said. “What I hope [students] are taking away from this experience, is you can make a difference in the political process. You can help transform voters.”

Assistance from students

Lesly Antoine Jr., a junior political science major, has gained experience in timekeeping for various debates sponsored by Rider and the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics.

“My freshman year, I did a debate between Curtis Bashaw and Andy Kim, and that [was] my first time being a timekeeper,” Antoine said. “I’ve tried the other jobs — being a candidate guide for Ras Baraka, doing the check-ins — but overall, I really enjoy being the timekeeper.”

Volunteering at these events for the Rebovich Institute has given Antoine and other student volunteers the opportunities to gain hands-on experience in the realm of politics.

“This is just a great school with a lot of opportunities when it comes to politics,” Antoine said.

Senior political science major Billy Malone said that as the student captain at the debate, he had the opportunity to assign jobs to students and “put out fires” if anything goes wrong.

Malone said, “Getting to go to [debates], it’s been a great thing to show what’s beyond campus and kind of open doors to meet people, network a little bit and hopefully help out in the future more.”