Third Congressional District Candidates Debate in Moorestown Thursday Night

The candidates in the race for the Third Congressional District seat being vacated by Jon Runyan will technically engage in their first debate Thursday night in Moorestown.

Democrat Aimee Belgard will debate Republican Tom MacArthur at the William Allen Middle School in Moorestown, 7:30 p.m. The Burlington County League of Women Voters is sponsoring the debate.

The district covers portions of Burlington and Ocean counties.

Belgard and MacArthur appeared on “On the Record” on NJTV for a joint interview. The interview was taped on Friday night and aired twice over the weekend.

The candidates spent a large chunk of that interview discussing who was less trustworthy, with MacArthur criticizing Belgard for not distancing herself from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s attack ads against him and Belgard accusing MacArthur of profiting off the misfortunes of disaster victims.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has been forced to remove from television two advertisements that factcheck.org determined misled voters into believing he cheated disaster victims.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee acted independent of Belgard in putting both of those ads together.

The candidates agreed on a range of other issues, including attacks on the Islamic State In Syria, which both agree should’ve been conducted sooner.

A recent poll conducted by the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey Polling Institute shows the candidates are tied.

It will be Belgard’s second appearance in Moorestown, as she spoke to the Moorestown Business Association at its monthly meeting in September.

MacArthur will speak to the Association Oct. 15.