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July 30th , 2023 Political Note #578 Sue Altman New Jersey 07
2024 General Election
Sue Altman will almost certainly be the Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.
Small town mayor Joseph Signorelli has announced, but not raised money, after switching from the Senate race. Jason Blazakis a former US State Department Director of Counterterrorism and current academic has suggested he might run. At this point, they are both latecomers. Sue Altman does not have much — $200,000. But it is more than any other Democrats. What’s more, she is in a position to raise money.
Against some odds, Sue Altman appears to have consolidated establishment support for her run for NJ 07. She begins with the governor’s support and does not see much in her way getting the Democratic nomination. Neither does the Democratic Party Chair, Leroy Jones. What Jones does say is that winning the general election will be a challenge.
The incumbent is first year Member of Congress Thomas Kean Jr., #14 on Len’s List of Vulnerable Republicans. The New York Times describes him as a former state legislator and the “namesake” of (They might have said son of) a former popular governor of New Jersey. There is only so far you can go as the “son of.”
Tom Kean Jr. has a long list of famous antecedents. His grandfather, Robert Kean, was a Congressman. His great grandfather, Hamilton Fish Kean, was a US Senator. His great, great uncle John Kean was also a US Senator. There is more. His grandmother was a New York Stuyvesant. His great grandmother was a Massachusetts Winthrop. Others include Senator Hamilton Fish and Congressman Hamilton Fish (The latter was the punch line of a frequent FDR complaint about Republican intransigent Congressmen). Go back far enough, one of George Washington’s aides, not so influential as Alexander Hamilton of course, was Colonel Nicholas Fish.
Democrats will tie the well-bred son of Thomas Kean Sr. to those with less dignified ancestry – Donald Trump and Kevin McCarthy, for two. Democrats may note his caution in dealing with the public. Tom Kean Jr had a telephoned in “town hall” in June for which he gave the public 24 hours notice. That was 24 hours more notice than he gave for his previous telephoned-in town hall. Insider NJ wondered how it could be that not a single question in this 45 minute town hall was about Donald Trump or any of his indictments. Was this, they wondered, a product of careful screening?
Kean supports Kevin McCarthy’s leadership. He praised the debt ceiling agreement. Did he support food stamp work requirements in the agreement? Did he support the east coast natural gas pipeline that was in the agreement? After all, the pipeline did not go as far north as New Jersey. He praised a bill passed in the House (that will not pass the Senate) intended to stimulate oil production. Tom Kean Jr. could run as a pro-fossil fuel Republican while he complains about the price of gas under Biden. Has he noticed that the price of gas has declined? That rarely happens in the summer.
Sue Altman is something else altogether. She is as combative as her mother. Her mom, Barbara Altman, had been a star basketball player in Garden City, Long Island. She went on to the University of Rhode Island and reminisces. “I could have been a contender.” She played for only two years and then quit. Women’s basketball was not taken seriously. Playing all out, Barbara Altman was kicked out of a game. They were afraid she might hurt someone.
Sue Altman, is a contender. As competitive as it gets, she also played basketball. Sue Altman grew up in Clinton, New Jersey and played well enough to get a full scholarship to Holy Cross. She played for only two years and then quit. Her problem was with the school experience. Holy Cross was not for her. She left for Columbia where she continued to star and led Columbia’s women’s basketball team to its best record in years.
Sue Altman taught school after completing her degree at Columbia. She was angry at aspiring Governor Chris Christie’s complaints about teachers and proposed cuts in education spending. She pointed to the rich curriculum and small classes at private schools Christie sent his children to and compared that to the public schools.
Sue Altman went overseas to play professional basketball and to go to graduate school. By 2013, she had completed a Master’s Degree in International and Comparative Education plus an MBA from Oxford University. She returned to New Jersey to teach, coach (she led two teams to state high school championships) and to put what she learned to use as an activist.
Sue Altman fought the state takeover of the Camden Schools. She opposed additional statewide standardized testing, wrote investigative pieces about Charter Schools, including criticisms of their real estate dealings. She confronted Chris Christie about his education policies so forcefully that he threw a microphone at her. She led representatives of more than 50 organizations into a Board meeting of the state economic development authority to demand that they resign. Their policies, according to Sue Altman, amounted to corporate welfare. If someone had not already taken control of the slogan, she might adopt “Never Back Down” as her own.
As the New Jersey Director of the Working Family Party, Sue Altman was willing to take on anyone who deserved being taken on. She led an effort to eliminate the “county line” which gives preferential placement on the primary ballot to candidates endorsed by county parties. At a legislative hearing, after leaders called on state troopers to quiet a noisy group, the troopers targeted Sue Altman on the other side of the room (Did they think she was orchestrating something?). They dragged her from the room. Newspaper reports say carefully that she fell to the floor to avoid suggesting that the troopers knocked her down,
Subsequently, instead of criticizing how she was handled personally, Sue Altman continued her criticism of tax credits that benefited legislator and party leader George Norcross. Attorney General Gurbir Grewal insisted that there was no credible evidence that her removal from the room was politically motivated, but urged that criminal charges against her be dropped. Sue Altman praised the Attorney General for raising additional questions about the actual capacity of the legislative hearing rooms and the need for clarity about the legislature’s rules regarding behavior in those rooms.
Feisty as Sue Altman is, people question whether she can win a general election. Newspapers that ask that question point to her criticisms and he Working Family Party’s criticisms of Israel. Conservative Democrat Josh Gottheimer claims that, at a protest he attended, Working Party Families shouted “Jew” at him. US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, who attended the same event, supports his statement.
Sue Altman denies that claim stating that “spurious” claims of anti-semitism diminish real anti-semitism. One participant in the protest, attempting to resolve the dispute, later explained that he had shouted: “Josh, as a Jew, it is a shanda (Yiddish for a disgrace) that you’re blocking [Joe Biden’s] Build Back Better plan.”
In 2024, we will find out whether Sue Altman can defeat Thomas Kean Jr. Kean defeated incumbent Tom Malinowski by 3 points in 2022. Redistricting had left NJ 07 with a slight Republican tilt. Malinowski, whose work leading Human Rights watch made him, when elected, a kind of conscience of the House of Representatives. With that reputation, his failure to report financial dealings in a timely manner made him particularly vulnerable to a somewhat new redistricted electorate.
Will Tom Kean Jr.’s ties to Kevin McCarthy and even to Trump now make him vulnerable to the progressive and combative Sue Altman? Her $200,000 raised is only a beginning for what will be a very expensive race in this mostly northwest New Jersey Congressional District. The incumbent began July with $1.5 million in the bank. Sue Altman does not have to outraise the Republican; she does have to raise a lot. Help her do that.
Eight Vulnerable Democratic Incumbents in the Northeast
Incumbent Jahana Hayes Connecticut 05, #3 on Len’s List of Vulnerable Democrats. There are no Republican announced candidates yet. Len’s Political Note #542
Incumbent Pat Ryan New York 18 #5 on Len’s List v. Realtor and 2020 Nominee Republican Lovelynn Gwinn. Len’s Political Note #545
Incumbent Susan Wild Pennsylvania 07 #6 on Len’s List. So far State Senator Kevin Dellicker and Convention Center Public Affairs Director Maria Montero have announced. Len’s Political Notes #546
Incumbent Matt Cartwright Pennsylvania 08 #7 on Len’s List. No Republican has announced as a candidate yet. Len’s Political Note #547
Incumbent Seth Magaziner Rhode Island 02 #9 on Len’s List. No Republican has announced as a candidate yet. Len’s Political Note #565
Incumbent Jared Golden of Maine 02 is #17 on Len’s List. So far, his only announced opponent is Robert Cross, a 2022 candidate for the state senate. Len’s Political Note #575
Incumbent Joe Morelle. New York 25 is #30 on Len’s List. No Republican has announced as a candidate yet.
Incumbent Chris Deluzio. Pennsylvania 17 #34 on Len’s List v. so far, one opponent, Republican Pastor and ex cop Jim Nelson. Len’s Political Note #475
Six Vulnerable Republican Candidates in the Northeast
Republican Michael Lawler of New York 17 is #4 on Len’s List of Vulnerable Republican House Members. Former Congressman Mondaire Jones leads the pack. One poll shows him with a nearly 50 point lead over the second place contender. Other Democrats who have announced include: Former Town Supervisor MaryAnn Carr and School Board Member Liz Whitmer Gereghty
Republican Brandon Williams of New York 22 is #6 on Len’s List. Town Board Member and former candidate Sarah Klee Hood appears to be the front runner to take on one of the more conservative Republicans in Congress. Other Democrats who have announced include: History Professor Clemmie Harris, Financial Planner Katelyn Kriesel, State Senator John Mannion. Len’s Political Note #558 urges support for Sarah Klee Hood.
Republican Marc Molinaro of New York 19 is #9 on Len’s List. Attorney and 2022 candidate Josh Riley is the front runner in this race. Len’s Political Note #473. Also announced is: Insurance Manager Don Butterman
Republican Anthony D’Esposito of New York 04 is #15 on Len’s List. Former Town Supervisor and 2022 candidate Laura Gillen is the front runner to take on one of the more conservative Republicans in Congress. Other Democrats who have announced include: Attorney and former Olympian Sarah Hughes, Real Estate Investor Glen Jones, Attorney Pat Maher
Republican George Santos of New York 03 is #21 on Len’s List and is, of course, probably the most vulnerable Republican. Democrats who have announced include: State Senator Anna Kaplan, County Legislator Josh Lafazan, Scott Livingston, Non-profit Executive Zak Malamed, College Professor Will Murphy. Newscaster Darius Radzius
Republican Scott Perry of Pennsylvania 10 is #23 on Len’s List. He is a particular target because he was one of the most active Members of Congress in supporting Donald Trump’s attempted coup in 2020. City Councilwoman and 2022 candidate Shamaine Daniels will be the nominee. Len’s Political Note #559 urges support for Shamaine Daniels
