Stockton to Sponsor Election Debates Oct. 21 and 23

The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, in partnership with The Press of Atlantic City, will sponsor two more public debates for legislative races covering parts of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Burlington and Ocean counties this month.

Candidates from District 1, which covers Cape May County and parts of Atlantic and Cumberland counties, will debate at the Old Courthouse on Route 9 in Cape May Court House on Oct. 21.

Incumbent Democratic state Sen. Jeff Van Drew will face Republican Susan Adelizzi-Schmidt, while incumbent Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Bob Andrzejczak, both Democrats, will take on Republicans Sam Fiocchi, a Cumberland County freeholder, and Kristine Gabor, a Cape May County freeholder.

The final debate, with candidates from District 9 (comprised of parts of Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean counties, including Galloway Township) will take place on Oct. 23 in the Campus Center Theatre on Stockton’s main Galloway campus.

State Sen. Chris Connors, the Republican incumbent, will debate Democratic challenger Anthony Mazzella, a former director at the Department of Treasury. Republican Assembly incumbents DiAnne Gove and Brian Rumpf will face Democratic candidates Peter Ferwerda III, a retired municipal and civil engineer, and Christopher McManus, a Stockton Honors Program student in Business Studies.

All the debates will start at 6 p.m. with state Senate candidates, followed at 7 p.m. by candidates for the Assembly. The format will allow for two-minute opening statements by each candidate, followed by an approximately one-hour question-and-answer session on each race, with a moderator and panel from the Hughes Center and The Press. The format allows for a one-minute rebuttal after an answer; candidates will also have a one-minute closing statement.

— News release from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey