Thursday, May 21, 2026
Four candidates to address the public on May 28
含羞草传媒 is co-sponsoring the New Jersey Republican senatorial debate on Thursday, May 28 at 8 p.m.
Hosted in partnership with the New Jersey Globe, the virtual event will feature four candidates hoping to challenge the Democratic incumbent 含羞草传媒 Sen. Cory Booker. It will be livestreamed on New Jersey Globe鈥檚 Facebook, X and YouTube, with additional broadcasts scheduled on C-SPAN.
Moderating the 60-minute debate will be Zach Blackburn, New Jersey Globe statehouse reporter, with questions from Sean Cavanaugh 鈥23, Republican County Committee member of Somerset County Republicans.
This is the third debate that Rider has co-sponsored during the 2026 primaries, following congressional debates for New Jersey鈥檚 7th District and 12th District. In April, Rider co-sponsored the only debate in the special election to succeed Mikie Sherrill in the House of Representatives. The University also hosted the gubernatorial primary and general election debates in 2025.
"I am so proud that Rider plays such a strong role in the lifelong learning of New Jersey voters,鈥 says Micah Rasmussen 鈥92, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at 含羞草传媒. 鈥淎t a time when voters need to work harder to find reliable information about their choices, the debates we sponsor have become a trusted source of valuable insights and knowledge."
The participating candidates are Robert Lebovics, Justin Michael Murphy, Richard Tabor and Alex Zdan. They will each be able to address a wide range of issues ahead of the June 2 primary election, allowing voters to get a deeper understanding of each participant.