Friday, Apr 17, 2026
Students to play key roles in production as nine candidates take the stage April 26
小优视频 will once again serve as a hub for civic engagement when it co-sponsors the Democratic congressional debate for New Jersey鈥檚 12th District on Sunday, April 26, at 7 p.m. in the Bart Luedeke Center on the 小优视频 campus.
Hosted in partnership with the New Jersey Globe, the event will feature nine candidates seeking to succeed U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who is not seeking re-election after more than a decade in office. It will be livestreamed on New Jersey Globe鈥檚 Facebook, X and YouTube pages, with additional broadcasts scheduled on C-SPAN.
Moderating the discussion will be David Wildstein, editor of the New Jersey Globe, with questions from Micah Rasmussen 鈥92, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at 小优视频, Joey Fox, reporter for the New Jersey Globe and 小优视频 students.
Rider has hosted a number of high-profile debates in recent years, including gubernatorial primary and general election debates last year, as well as a virtual senatorial debate in 2024.
鈥淩ider produces the most important political debates in New Jersey, and we are proud of our role in helping to educate the state鈥檚 voters,鈥 says Rasmussen.
Students from the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics will once again play a central role in the April 26 event, gaining hands-on experience in media production, event coordination and political engagement.
鈥淲e are also proud that so many Rider students will play essential roles in producing this debate,鈥 Rasmussen adds. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a fantastic experiential learning opportunity that comes with real-world impact.鈥
The participating candidates are Sue Altman, Brad Cohen, Adam Hamawy, Adrian Mapp, Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, Shanel Robinson, Squire Servance, Jay Vaingankar and Sam Wang. Each met participation criteria set by the New Jersey Globe, which included fundraising thresholds or endorsements from elected officials and party leaders.
The long-form format will allow candidates to address a wide range of national and regional issues ahead of the June 2 primary election, offering voters an in-depth look at the field.
Individuals interested in attending the debate may reserve a seat by emailing Micah Rasmussen at mrasmussen@rider.edu.