Former governor Tom Kean is wading into the 2024 elections today, formally endorsing Republican Curtis Bashaw in his bid to become the next U.S.

Senator from new Jersey.

Going head to head with Democratic Congressman Andy Kim, the presumed frontrunner in the race.

In his endorsement, Kaine called Bashaw the kind of leader who will put country over party.

The support from one of New Jersey's most beloved political figures comes after our NJ spotlight News conversation with the U.S. Senate candidates, where David Cruz and I sat down with Kim and Bashaw to dig into the issues.

It was a civil discussion that also saw a few sharp exchanges.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis has the highlights.

Civil might be the word you'd use to describe the tone of a sit down conversation between U.S. Senate candidates, Democratic Congressman Andy Kim and Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw last night.

It broke from the typical debate format to a more in-depth conversation.

One of my biggest legislative wins being able to cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors when it comes to their prescription drugs.

At $166 a month, capping insulin costs at $35 a month.

We passed the child tax credit, something that cut child poverty in half in this country.

I've created 1100 jobs.

I have hundreds of people that make way more than $30 an hour.

Because we started an enterprise that works.

Bashaw running as a moderate conservative, found common ground with Kim on issues like support for Israel.

Both are pro-choice.

They disagree on how to fix the economy against programs like the Inflation Reduction Act.

Kim staunchly defending it.

But they each took their shots to land some body blows.

When my party's right, I'm going to defend them and support them.

And when my party's not right, I'm going to stand up to it.

You wouldn't understand how I might be able to stand up to mine, because you never stood up to yours.

And that's what is different about us.

Everyone in this state has seen me stand up to my own party when I think they're doing something wrong.

I mean, in this Senate race, I got through a very contentious primary, standing up to some of the most powerful political leaders in the state in my own party.

You talk to any New Jersey political insiders, and they're not fans of Congressman Kim.

This is a man who blew up the county line system.

This is a man who went against the political structure and the governor of new Jersey and his own party to become the Democratic nominee.

It may be that some of those people in the Democratic Party actually will sit on their hands for Congressman Kim, because they're so unhappy with him.

Kim went after Bashaw on his pro-choice stance after he said this about codifying Roe v Wade into law.

I believe that a woman has the right to choose her medical care and those decisions.

And I do think we need a federal law to codify that in all 50 states, and that should be worked on in a bipartisan way.

And I think that that process will bring us to reasonable, commonsense, reforms.

Mr. Bashaw said that he thinks that there's a common sense approach that, you know, we can come together as a country on this issue.

I'm not sure what you have seen about how this debate has gone on in our country right now, but it is very toxic and it is very corrosive.

I do not see how you going down to the US Senate is going to single handedly change everything that we see.

His appeal is certainly to that, Republican moderation and talking to swing voters when you're talking about especially things like immigration and business growth, he certainly tried to paint Andy Kim as a DC insider.

And I think we did see a little bit of a fiery exchange there.

That exchange over U.S. support for Israel.

I worked at the Pentagon.

I worked out in Afghanistan at the height of war.

I've seen the deployment of the that missile systems and other types of systems before.

I'm on the Armed Services Committee.

Again, it sounds like a DC insider talking to us.

I'm going to stand by the experience you keep.

You just keep calling me a DC insider.

I just find it very offensive.

You know, there are people who have served our country.

You know, people I've worked in war zones, you know, risked my life for this country.

And I just do not appreciate the labeling.

You know, like, it just you're trying to serve in the Senate like, have some respect for public servants.

I do know, and you don't.

I respect that service.

So any confusion there I apologize for because I don't disrespect it.

Both said they'd separate immigration policy from border security.

Bashar took aim at Kim over the border wall.

Have you been there to see the holes in the wall?

Have I been, you know, look, I mean, I I'm working I have been working on a lot of national security issues, but you've been to the border and seen it.

No, I haven't gone to the border to tell you've been there six.

Congress Bashaw rejected Trump's call for mass deportations, leading to this reaction from MAGA Republican Mike Christie during a watch party.

I thought we had our candidate tonight who wasn't projecting any strength.

I think there's a historic opportunity in this election with President Trump having a close in the polls in New Jersey to join his platform, stand unequivocally with him.

Crispy took to ax to accuse Kim of wearing a North Korean flag on his tie.

Kim called it a disgusting attack and urged Bashar and Republican leaders to condemn the xenophobia.

Bashar did just that today, calling Kim a patriotic American.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Joanna Gagis.