Thomas Roughneen

Former Councilwoman Kelly Hatfield in front of the old Town Hall 

SUMMIT - Former Summit Councilwoman Kelly Hatfield stands downtown on a corner where she can see the old Town Hall, the parking garage and the historic horse trough - all items that were either renovated or built during her nine years on the council.

"I have proven experience as a problem solver," says the microbiologist who retired from the council in 2005 and now is a longshot to represent the Republican Party as a candidate for U.S. Congress in the 7th District.

The other candidates in the 7th Congressional District GOP primary responded favorably to Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks’s challenge today for four debates.

"We are happy to debate," said Amanda Woloshen, spokeswoman for state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon). "We have actually already accepted a debate from Channel 9. Any opportunity for Leonard to express his record of true fiscal conservatism is always welcome."

Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks 

Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks today sent a letter to his opponents in the Republican 7th Congressional District Primary, challenging them to a series of four debates.

Marks said he wants four candidate debates, one each in Union, Hunterdon, Middlesex, and Somerset counties.

BRIDGEWATER - Iraq War veteran Thomas Roughneen charges his rivals with ducking hard questions about veterans, and makes his case for why he is better positioned to challenge Democratic congressional candidate Assemblywoman Linda Stender.

BRIDGEWATER - The frontrunners like to call it a three-way race.State Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon)

Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon), Summit Councilwoman Kelly Hatfield and businesswoman Kate Whitman each won Hunterdon, Union and Middlesex respectively in their quest to be the Republican nominee in the 7th Congressional District.

Tonight’s Somerset County Republican Convention will likely thin the ranks of contenders and give one of the frontrunners a solid leg up on the rest of the nine-person field.

With only the Somerset convention remaining in a district that encompasses portions of four counties, the pressure to secure the endorsement of this county’s committee is on Whitman, who lives in Peapack-Gladstone.

After all, Lance won his home county of Hunterdon, and Hatfield won her home county of Union.

Thomas Roughneen

WATCHUNG - In a crowded field of Republican candidates in the 7th Congressional district, longshot Thomas Roughneen highlights his background as an Iraq War veteran and son of Irish immigrants.

Honor and sacrifice are words he uses often.

Although an admirer of President George W. Bush, the 38-year old former assistant prosecutor from Watchung does not believe the administration put Americans on the proper war footing for a protracted conflict in the Middle East.

State Sen. Leonard Lance makes his case as one of his opponents, Warren Township Mayor Victor Sordillo, looks on.

FLEMINGTON - State Sen. Leonard Lance flattened the other 7th Congressional district primary candidates in his home county tonight at a meeting of the Hunterdon County Republicans, and specifically targeted Kate Whitman in his speech to the county committee.

In his most animated remarks so far on the campaign trail, the former minority leader vowed to fight the terrorists and fight the Taliban, and quoted Lincoln’s "America is still the world’s last best hope on earth."

Republican attorney Tom Roughneen of Watchung, twice awarded the Bronze Star for his Army service in Iraq, is forming an exploratory committee to run for Congress in the 7th district.

"My Irish-immigrant, blue-collar parents raised their 5 children to appreciate the opportunities in America," said Roughneen in a letter to Republicans he sent out earlier this month. "For 10 years I served as a prosecutor and for twenty years I have served in the Army.