With Election Day just two weeks away, presidential candidates from all parties are criss-crossing battleground states, delivering speeches and performing stunts to draw attention to a variety of topics.
They have opinions they want to share with voters about the economy, health care, and abortion rights. And while the names at the top of the ticket are likely to drive people to vote in November, New Jersey voters will also have a U.S. Senate seat and a full House seat on their ballots.
Candidate positions on these topics most often conform to party ideology. Here’s a breakdown of the rankings of the major parties’ Senate candidates:
US Senate: Congressman Andy Kim and Congressman Curtis Bashaw
Democratic Rep. Andy Kim is a third-term congressman from Burlington County who is seeking to fill the seat previously held by Sen. Bob Menendez.
Since announcing his candidacy, he has made it clear that his priorities include affordability, frequently citing efforts in the House to lower the cost of prescriptions like insulin for seniors. .
Kim supports access to reproductive health and a woman’s right to choose.
The lawmaker has a background in national security during the Obama administration and believes the United States should continue to support Ukraine and Israel.
Republican Curtis Bashaw has never held elected office, but he is a prominent South Jersey businessman.
Throughout his campaign, Bashaw has maintained that he is pro-Israel, pro-Ukrainian, and broadly supportive of reproductive rights in light of the Dobbs decision, which leaves regulation of reproductive rights up to states.
What you need to know: A guide to New Jersey’s 2024 federal, local, and school elections.
Opinion: Andy Kim is a New Jersey Senate candidate | Editorial
Details of the race for New Jersey’s U.S. Senate seat
Earlier this fall, we published profiles of both Senate candidates.
What’s driving Curtis Bashaw’s campaign for a New Jersey Senate seat?
In a lengthy interview with USA TODAY Network New Jersey, Bashaw said his campaign is based on the principles of freedom, opportunity and security.
What’s driving Andy Kim’s campaign for a New Jersey Senate seat?
Kim said his campaign to win New Jersey’s vacant U.S. Senate seat is driven by a desire to rebuild public trust in our country’s political system.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey State Legislature. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
