Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew and his Democrat opponent, Cape May Mayor Zach Mullock, are set to debate each other at 6 p.m. on Oct. 22 in Stockton University’s Campus Center Theatre.
The one-hour debate will be moderated by The Press of Atlantic City Digital Editor Nicholas Huba and Alyssa Maurice, assistant director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University. There will be no live audience. It will be livestreamed on the Hughes Center’s YouTube page and the website of The Press.
According to the Cook Political Report, Inside Elections and Sabato’s Crytstal Ball, Van Drew will easily be the winner, rating the race Solid or Safe Republican. Only the Decision Desk gave Mullock a chance, rating the race Likely Republican.
Van Drew, a dentist, has had a long political career. He served on the Dennis Township Committee starting in 1991 and became that township’s mayor from 1997 through 2003. He also served on the Cape May Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1994 to 1997 and from 2000 to 2002. He went on to represent the New Jersey General Assembly’s 1st Legislative District from 2002 to 2008 and then became that district’s senator from 2008 to 2018.
He was first elected to Congress in 2018, defeating Republican Seth Grossman by a 136,685 to 116,866 count. At that time he was considered a moderate Democrat – he was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a caucus representing moderate and conservative members of the Democratic Party.
But Van Drew opposed the first impeachment of President Trump in 2019 and soon afterward switched to the Republican Party. He was no longer a moderate, becoming joined at the hip with Trump.
“So after being a Democrat to vote against impeaching Donald Trump I took a long walk with my chief of staff. I remember saying to her that perhaps my time in elected office was done,” he told the crowd at the 2024 Republican Convention. “And you know what, I was OK with that. There was no way, no way, I could be a Democrat anymore.
“But then, I received a call from the White House. President Trump asked me to meet with him. We spoke about family, faith, freedom and friendship. He has been my good friend ever since that day. He said that I should be a Republican. I said, ‘Mr. President, I will be a Republican.’ He said he would stick by me, and he always, always has.”
Van Drew beat Amy Kennedy by a 195,526 to 173,849 margin in 2020. Since then his numbers have been as straight as an arrow up. He beat Democrat Tim Alexander 139,217 to 94,522 in 2022 and crushed Democrat Joe Salerno, 215,946 to 153,117, in 2024.
So why would anybody think Mullock has a chance? The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The DCCC added New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District to its Districts in Play Program on Oct. 2. The program lists competitive seats held by vulnerable Republicans that Democrats say will decide control of the House of Representatives.
DCCC Chair Susan DelBene said Van Drew puts political convenience ahead of his constituents, favoring tax breaks for the wealthy while cutting healthcare and raising costs. She predicted voters will send Van Drew packing in November.
Of course DelBene made that prediction – that’s her job. However, the DCCC noted a potential concern for Van Drew. Gov. Mikie Sherrill came within single digits of winning the district in 2025, and Trump’s approval ratings have continued to fall since then. So there’s hope for Mullock, even if it is slight.
Van Drew will likely tout his accomplishments in the Oct. 22 debate.
In March 2025 he said, “I want to be absolutely clear: Social Security must always be protected. These programs are lifelines for our seniors, individuals with disabilities, and working families. And I will never support cuts to them.”
But his tune changed slightly in May 2025. “First, let me be clear: I will never support cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security that are not specifically aimed at reducing waste, fraud, or abuse.” Mullock could find a debate opening, thanks to that proviso.
Mullock not only “vehemently opposes any cuts or privatization efforts to Social Security,” but also wants to raise the Social Security payroll tax cap on incomes over $400,000 to strengthen the program; and expand Medicare and Medicaid benefits to include dental, vision and hearing care.
Van Drew voted for the $6,000 senior tax credit for seniors collecting Social Security, no tax on tips and overtime. He also wants to make Trump’s tax cuts permanent.
Mullock wants to expand and make permanent the Child Tax Credit. He also wants to establish an annual tax on the net worth of the wealthiest households in America. Mullock also wants to raise the corporate tax rate “so profitable corporations contribute to the country that made their success possible.”
Van Drew points to the claim that he saved the Federal Aviation Administration’s Technical Center in Egg Harbor Township; secured almost $500 million for the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May; and also secured $61 million for the 177th Air National Guard Fighter Wing in Egg Harbor Township. Van Drew also secured a total of many millions for other projects in his district. If elected, Mullock would obviously also attempt to bring as much federal monies into the district as possible. The question is if he could snag as much funding if a Republican remains in the White House.
Van Drew talks about his role in defeating offshore wind projects in southern New Jersey.
“A special thank you to great New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew for his fight against a large-scale Windmill DISASTER off the coast of Southern New Jersey. … The project is dead and gone, as almost all unsightly and environmentally unsound Windmill project(s) should be,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in January 2025.
Mullock has stayed away from the offshore wind farm debate during this election season. However, Trump isn’t a fan of solar energy, either. Mullock says, “Go full speed on solar energy – install solar on any and all acceptable homes and businesses at cost and massive scale.”
The two candidates differ on so many issues. All can’t be discussed in a one-hour debate. Still, there’s one more issue that will surely be addressed in the debate: foreign policy and the war in Iran.
“President Trump did what had to be done,” Van Drew said in June. “This is exactly what peace through strength means. I am proud to stand with President Trump as he restores American leadership on the global stage and makes the world a safer place.”
Mullock advocates for a foreign policy that prioritizes diplomacy and human rights. He wants to fully fund NATO and the United Nations, restore and strengthen relationships with our democratic allies, and “ensure defense spending focuses on strategic security needs rather than endless wars.”
