Senate Candidates Booker, Lonegan Debate at Rowan as Lonegan Closes Gap in Polls

As recent polls show Republican candidate Steve Lonegan closing the gap on Senate opponent and Democratic candidate Cory Booker, New Jersey voters have one more opportunity to compare the two.

Newark Mayor Booker and former Bogota Mayor Lonegan debate for the second and final time Wednesday night at Rowan University in Glassboro.

The debate between Booker, the Democratic Mayor of Newark, and Lonegan, the former Mayor of Bogota and Republican candidate, will be broadcast live locally on NBC, 7 p.m. It will also be streamed live on Philly.com and NBC10.com.

The two are seeking the Senate seat left vacant when Frank Lautenberg died of pneumonia in June. The election is Oct. 16.

The first debate between the two, held Friday night in Trenton, saw each candidate label the other as “extremist” in their views, and at times, became a referendum on Booker’s term as mayor.

Booker, 44, cited Lonegan, 57, as a “tea party extremist” who will only enhance the problems the capitol currently faces.

During a tour of three towns alongside Texas Governor Rick Perry last week, Lonegan praised Senate Republicans for their part in the current government shutdown and their opposition to the Affordable Care Act.

Lonegan cited Booker and President Barack Obama as extreme for their views on healthcare, while Booker pointed to his bipartisan work with Republican Gov. Chris Christie on education.

Booker also pointed to Lonegan’s strict belief in outlawing abortion, “even in cases of incest and rape.” Lonegan claimed Booker supported abortions, including partial-birth abortions, a claim Booker denied.

The two practically saw eye-to-eye on national security, agreeing more oversight was needed for the NSA Domestic Surveillance program and that the Patriot Act either needed to be revised or repealed.

Each of the two debates may have some sway with the voters, despite early polls showing Booker with a commanding lead over Lonegan.

In September, Booker held a 35-point lead over Lonegan in a Rutgers-Eagleton poll, a poll conducted by the Stockton Polling Institute showed Booker held a 26-point lead. Those leads have recently narrowed.

NBC10 Anchor Jim Rosenfield will moderate Wednesday night’s debate, along with a panel that includes NBC 4 New York anchor David Ushery and Philadelphia Inquirer Washington correspondent Jonathan Tamari.

Patch will be on hand with live coverage throughout the night.