With a crowded Democratic primary field forming in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, voters in Hopewell Township will have an opportunity to hear directly from candidates during a public forum on April 22.
The event, titled “The Future of CD12: A Candidate Conversation,” will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Washington Crossing, 268 Washington Crossing–Pennington Road in Titusville. It is hosted by the Hopewell Valley Democratic Club and will be moderated by MercerMe editor Seth Siditsky.
With the ballot now set following the petition deadline, the race is entering a more defined phase, with candidates shifting their focus toward voter outreach, public forums and building name recognition across the district.
The Hopewell event offers one of the first opportunities for residents in the Hopewell Valley area to see a large portion of the candidate field in person.
A total of 13 candidates are on the Democratic primary ballot, with 12 already confirmed to participate in the forum. Candidates in the race include Matt Adams, Sue Altman, Brad Cohen, Elijah Dixon, Adam Hamawy, Kyle Little, Adrian Mapp, Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, Shanel Robinson, Squire Servance, Sujit Singh, Jay Vaingankar and Sam Wang.
The race comes as longtime Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman prepares to retire, opening the seat and drawing a large field of candidates seeking to represent the district.
The forum is intended to give residents an opportunity to hear where candidates stand on key issues ahead of the June 2 primary. Community members are invited to submit questions in advance for consideration. While not all submissions can be asked during the forum, because of the limited time, all questions will be reviewed and used to help shape the discussion.
Organizers said the question submission process is intended to broaden participation and help ensure that issues important to local residents are reflected in the discussion, even within the time limits of a multi-candidate forum.
“I’m excited to moderate this conversation and to review the questions coming in from across the community,” Siditsky said. “This is a chance for residents to hear directly from many of the candidates who have stepped forward to serve, all in one place.”
Following the forum, attendees will have an opportunity to meet candidates during a brief meet-and-greet session.
Advance registration is encouraged. Residents can register to attend and submit questions through links available on the Hopewell Valley Democratic Club website and MercerMe.
The event is open to the public. To register for the event visit the registration link and to submit a question for consideration visit here.
