Packed Crowd Turns Out for First NJ-12 Congressional Forum in Hopewell

An estimated 200 people filled the Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing in Hopewell Township on April 22, as eleven Democratic candidates for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District made their case to voters in the first candidate forum held in Hopewell during the primary campaign.

The event, hosted by the Hopewell Valley Democratic Club and moderated by MercerMe editor Seth Siditsky, brought together a wide-ranging field competing to succeed longtime Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, who is retiring after more than a decade in office. With mail-in ballots already arriving and early voting approaching, the forum offered one of the first opportunities for Hopewell Valley voters to see the candidates share a stage and respond to the same questions.

For many in the audience, it was a chance not just to hear policy positions, but to compare tone, experience, and priorities across a crowded and diverse field.

Following the forum, candidates remained for a meet-and-greet, speaking directly with voters in the church’s social hall.

A broad field with varied paths to the race

The 11 candidates who appeared in Hopewell reflected a wide range of professional and political backgrounds, underscoring both the competitiveness of the race and the absence of a clear successor to Watson Coleman.

Among those on stage were elected officials with extensive governing experience, including East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen, Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp, and Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, who currently holds Watson Coleman’s former Assembly seat. Somerset County Commissioner Director Shanel Robinson also highlighted her experience in county government.

Others brought federal or policy experience, including Jay Vaingankar, who served in the Biden administration’s Department of Energy. Sue Altman was the 2024 candidate for NJ-7^th and former State Director for Senator Andy Kim. 

Several candidates emphasized backgrounds outside traditional political pathways. Princeton neuroscientist Sam Wang, attorney and entrepreneur Squire Servance, and small business owner and adjunct professor Kyle Little each framed their candidacies around bringing a different perspective to Washington.

Military service was also a recurring theme, with candidates including Adam Hamawy, Matt Adams, and Robinson pointing to their experience as veterans as preparation for federal office.

Technology consultant and former West Windsor mayoral candidate Sunjit Singh did not attend due to a scheduling conflict. Trenton-based activist Elijah Dixon withdrew from the race the day before the forum and endorsed Hamawy.

A structured forum, focused on key issues

The forum followed a structured format designed to allow each candidate equal time. After one-minute opening statements, candidates responded to four questions covering environmental policy, checks and balances in government, Social Security, and healthcare.

Each response was limited to 60 seconds, with a visible timer signaling when candidates needed to wrap up. The format emphasized concise answers and prevented extended back-and-forth, keeping the event moving while ensuring each candidate addressed the same core topics.

The audience, which filled nearly every seat in the church, listened quietly throughout much of the forum, with applause typically reserved for the beginning and end of the event.

Read more on the candidates views on the issues here.

“Meeting the moment”

Across the evening, one phrase surfaced repeatedly — sometimes explicitly, sometimes in spirit: “meeting the moment.”

Candidates used it to frame both their candidacies and the broader stakes of the race. For some, the moment called for experienced leadership capable of navigating Congress and pushing back against the current administration. For others, it represented a need for new voices and a break from traditional political pathways.

Despite differences in approach, there was broad agreement among the candidates that the current political environment — including concerns about executive power, economic pressures, and global conflict — requires a more assertive role for Congress.

That shared framing often masked deeper differences in how candidates said they would act, with some emphasizing legislative strategy and coalition-building, and others calling for more sweeping structural changes.

Issues reflect both local and national concerns

While the race is national in scope, many of the issues discussed during the forum carried clear local resonance for Hopewell Valley voters.

On environmental policy — fitting for an Earth Day forum — candidates addressed climate change, clean energy, and infrastructure, often tying those issues to local concerns such as flooding, water quality, and development pressures. Several referenced the need for federal investment and regulation, while others emphasized incentives for clean energy and stronger enforcement of environmental protections.

Questions about the role of Congress in checking executive power drew some of the most pointed responses of the night. Candidates broadly agreed on the need for stronger oversight and accountability, though they differed in how aggressively Congress should act and what tools it should use.

On Social Security, candidates consistently emphasized protecting benefits, while proposing different approaches to addressing long-term funding challenges — including tax policy changes and shifts in federal spending priorities.

Healthcare, the final topic of the night, prompted discussion of rising costs, access to care, and insurance challenges. Several candidates voiced support for expanded or universal coverage models, while others focused on cost controls, workforce shortages, and reforms to the existing system.

Throughout the discussion, candidates often connected national policy debates to everyday impacts — from prescription drug costs to the difficulty of finding a primary care doctor.

A race shaped by change

The forum also took place in the context of a changing political landscape in New Jersey.

The recent elimination of the “county line” ballot design — which had long given party-endorsed candidates a structural advantage — has reshaped how candidates compete in primary elections. While endorsements from county organizations still carry weight, they no longer guarantee ballot positioning advantages that historically influenced outcomes.

That shift has opened the field to a broader range of candidates, including those running without traditional party backing.

Several candidates alluded to that dynamic indirectly, framing their campaigns as part of a moment of change within the Democratic Party — both in New Jersey and nationally.

First stop in Hopewell, more to come

For Hopewell Valley voters, the forum marked the first major opportunity to engage directly with the full field of candidates without leaving the community.

Hopewell Democratic leader Diane Sandahl said she was encouraged by both the turnout and the tone of the event.

“I was thrilled,” Sandahl said. “It worked well, and everyone did a good job.”

With additional forums and campaign events expected across the district in the coming weeks, candidates will continue making their case to voters before the June 2 primary.

Mail-in ballots have already begun arriving in voters’ homes, and early voting is scheduled to begin later in May.

As the race unfolds, the Hopewell forum offered an early snapshot of a contest that is both wide open and closely watched — one that will ultimately determine who represents New Jersey’s 12th District in Congress for the next generation.

Photos taken by Mike Schwartz can be found at   https://mikeschwartz.photoreflect.com/store/Photos.aspx?e=14851552