Third Congressional District Candidates Clash in Moorestown Debate

The contentious nature of the Third Congressional District race continued to show itself during Thursday night’s debate between Democrat Aimee Belgard and Republican Tom MacArthur.

“I’m happy to report I agree with my opponent on an issue,” MacArthur said in response to a question about the need to stabilize the financial security of the U.S. Postal Service.

It wasn’t actually the only thing they agreed on during the debate at William Allen Middle School in Moorestown.

They agreed on the importance of boosting the economy as it relates to Medicare and Social Security.

They agreed that the country needs to take a “tough but fair” approach to immigration, and that criminals need to be sent home and immigrants must pay back taxes if they want to become citizens, although MacArthur had his own view as to why they agreed on this issue.

“That’s been my position on my website, but as of Wednesday, Aimee Belgard didn’t even mention the word immigration on her website,” MacArthur said. “She gave you my position.”

Both candidates acknowledged the problem of cooperation in Congress, and called it a motivating factor in their decision to run for the seat soon to be vacated by Jon Runyan. The district encompasses parts of Burlington and Ocean counties.

“Sometimes, people bring diverging views together and they get something better,” Belgard said. “ ... As a freeholder, I’ve worked across the aisle and I’m willing to agree with my Republican colleagues when they have a good idea.”

“We need people who can work together in Congress, and we don’t have that right now,” MacArthur said. “I’ve gotten endorsements from business groups and labor unions, and they never agree on anything.”

MacArthur also took the opportunity to accuse Belgard of not standing up to her party.

For the second time in a week, MacArthur referenced two advertisements the Democratic Congressional Committee was forced to remove from television because they led the public to believe MacArthur cheated disaster victims.

Factcheck.org deemed the advertisements were misleading. Belgard was not part of the decision to make the ads, air them or take them down, but MacArthur has called on her to disavow the ads. He did the same during their joint interview that aired on NJTV over the weekend.

They agreed something needs to be done about gun safety in America. They agreed guns need to be kept away from criminals and the mentally unstable. Belgard called for closing loopholes at gun shows and tighter background checks, while MacArthur said existing laws need to be enforced.

Belgard sees marriage equality as a civil rights issue, saying it’s not up to legislators to tell people who they can love. MacArthur said all marriages should be treated equally under law, but maintains marriage should be “between one man and one woman.”

Belgard said she’s seen the Affordable Care Act help Cancer patients who couldn’t afford treatment and to put food on their table escape the need to make that choice. MacArthur spoke of the negative impact the law has had on hospitals, including denying a hospital payment if it treats one patient twice within a certain period of time.

They both recognize care for veterans needs to improve. MacArthur called for a VA building in the Third Congressional District, which is home to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

The debate, sponsored by the Burlington County League of Women Voters, will air on C-Span at a later date.

Election Day is Nov. 4.