It is September, and that means political candidates are entering the final stretch of the 2024 general election season.

New Jersey's seventh congressional district race is considered one of the most closely watched in the nation between GOP incumbent Tom Kean, Junior and Democrat Sue Altman.

The Cook Political Report is racing at a Republican Toss-Up.

Democrats see the district as their best chance to gain a seat for the party.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan takes a look at this tightening race.

I'm going to vote.

Yeah, for the Republicans.

I'm going to keep it for myself.

I think I'm pretty moderate, but, so I have to take a look at both candidates a little more closely.

And voters are playing it close to the vest in New Jersey's only House race.

That's a real horse race pitting first term incumbent Republican Tom Kean Jr against a main challenger, Democrat Sue Altman.

Kd7 is considered a toss up, according to Cook Political Report, although registered Republicans do outnumber Democrats here.

That might explain why Altman's first campaign ad features, quote, lifelong Republicans trashing her opponent.

I gave the guy a chance.

JR is nothing like his dad.

He has a secret anti-abortion agenda, and I don't like that.

I like what I've seen so often.

But the top of the ticket is also driving decisions.

Some analysts call this an unprecedented change election, with Kamala Harris replacing Joe Biden.

Cain has endorsed Donald Trump for president, and that mattered to a couple of lifelong Republicans we encountered in Westfield.

It's Cain versus Altman.

Yeah, I think generally I will vote Democrat all the way to.

I'm leaning, unfortunately, away from the Republican Party, at the moment.

And, we'll probably be going with the Democrat just as much as Harris enthusiasm is going to help Altman.

That distaste for Trump or any disdain towards Trump is certainly going to hurt Kane down ballot as well.

And especially we're talking about a numbers game.

This is all about turnout.

Cain's first campaign ad launched last week, presented him as a corruption fighter who helped toss indicted colleague Jorge Santos out of Congress and just last year voted to expel a member of my own party for violating the law.

Now I'm supporting a bipartisan bill ban members of Congress from trading stocks.

The ad doesn't even mention Altman, although Cain's campaign responded to her ad today stating so.

Altman's desperately trying to distract from her record as a serial antagonist who has called for defunding the police and supporting bail for convicted cop killers.

Voters will reject her extreme positions come November 5th.

I am not in favor of defund the police.

I think it was a really silly hashtag from the middle of the pandemic that caught fire online.

I believe in a comprehensive vision for public safety that includes all stakeholders.

Altman sat for an interview with NJ Spotlight News anchor Brianna Vannozzi for the Election Exchange podcast, who asked about her progressive stance as the former head of Jersey's Working Families Party.

In 2019, Altman got dragged out of a Trenton hearing when she opposed South Jersey political power broker George Norcross, who has since been indicted and pleaded not guilty to racketeering charges.

Would you consider yourself a radical?

Oh God no.

It's not radical to want to hold accountable somebody who has been indicted for a crime.

Each side really has a lot to play with here.

We know that Altman was kind of branded as this progressive originally, and in order to win the seven, she's going to have to go towards the middle.

She's going to have to go towards the moderate median voter.

NJ Spotlight News invited Kaine for an interview, but got no reply.

While the reproductive rights issue has mobilized some voters, affordability remains a top concern for new Jersey voters.

Money also matters to the candidates.

Altman has yet to score an infusion of campaign cash from national Democrats.

Neither have yet attracted much money from outside groups.

Meanwhile, there's a pool of unaffiliated and undecided voters to be one.

Everyone makes promises to get elected and no one follows through.

I feel like nobody follows through on what they promise, or what they're campaigning for, or what their passion to help to fight for.

I feel like nobody is following through.

Bottom line vote by mail ballots go out later this month, a compressed campaign schedule, so candidates need to make their move and impress voters now and then sustain that momentum through the November finish line.

In Westfield I'm Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.