WATCH: NJ-11 Candidates Sherrill, Webber Debating Wednesday Night

MORRISTOWN, NJ — With less than a month to go before the November general election, the candidates for New Jersey's 11th Congressional district will square off in their second debate Wednesday night.

The debate is hosted by NJTV News, and will be moderated by senior political correspondent Michael Aron. You can watch it on the NJTV news channel, or on a livestream right here Patch (above). Coverage will start at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 10. (Missed it? You can read a full recap of the night here.)

The race between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jay Webber could have national implications. NJ-11 has long been considered a solidly Republican district, and this is the first time in decades that there is a competitive race. Current-Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, the chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, has held the seat since 1995; the seat was last held by a Democrat in the mid 1980s.

• Read More: 5 Questions With Your 11th District Candidates, Webber & Sherrill

Frelinghuysen did not face serious challengers during his 23 years in office, so much so that in 2000 Michael Moore led a campaign to run a ficus plant as a write-in challenger (yes, really). Trump carried the district in 2016, but with less than 50 percent of the vote, and Frelinghuysen would have faced a steeper-than-usual fight for reelection had he not announced his retirement.

That Republican security could change this election, the Cook Political Report thinks. The non-partisan group is now considering the race to "lean Democratic," one of two New Jersey districts they're predicting could flip from Republican to Democrat this November (the other being NJ-02). Polls say that the race is close, with a recent Monmouth University poll showing Sherrill leading Webber by four percentage points, 48 percent to 44 percent. She maintains a lead if you adjust polling for a Democratic surge, or if you adjust it for low turnout.

“The basic contours of this race have not changed [in recent months]. Even though Republicans have the edge in party affiliation, many are not happy with the president or key GOP initiatives such as the tax reform plan,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. Murray called Sherrill's polling lead "statistically insignificant" Wednesday night.

Both Webber and Sherrill have earned endorsements from the highest ranks of their parties. Former Vice President Joe Biden has campaigned on Sherrill's behalf, while current Vice President Mike Pence has stumped for Webber. Webber has also garnered support from President Donald Trump via an endorsement Tweet, something the Webber camp has not played up. (Former President Obama has not endorsed Sherrill, despite endorsing other New Jersey Democrats.)

“It’s no surprise that Webber has not been trumpeting the president’s endorsement when you look at these poll numbers. Trump does not really help even though this is a Republican district,” said Murray. Twenty-eight percent of voters say the endorsement makes them less likely to support Webber, while only 11 percent say it makes them more likely, the poll found.

The poll also found that Democrats are slightly more interested in the race than Republicans, with 84 percent of Democrats saying they're very interested, versus 65 percent of Republicans.

Wednesday night's debate is the second of three debates the candidates will participate in. The third debate will take place on Thursday in Wayne; the Libertarian candidate, Ryan Martinez, will also take part in Thursday's debate.

The first debate, held on Tuesday night in Sussex County, was heated at times, the Daily Record reported, with candidates trading barbs over the other's partisanship and whether or not they'd support Immigration Enforcement and Customs (ICE). Martinez and no-party candidate Robert Crook were also at Tuesday's debate.

The two had previously argued through dueling press releases over their support of ICE. Both Sherrill and Webber said they supported ICE and would be tough on crime if elected, while accusing the other of not being tough enough.

• Read More: Sherrill, Webber Say They Support ICE, Will Be Tough On Crime

Here are the towns in New Jersey's 11th congressional district:

Morris County: Boonton Town, Boonton Township, Butler, Chatham Borough, Chatham Township, Denville, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Madison, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township, Montville, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown Town, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Pequannock, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway Borough, Rockaway Township and Victory Gardens

Essex County: Bloomfield (split with 10th), Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Livingston, Montclair (split with 10th), North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, Verona, West Caldwell, West Orange (split with 10th)

Passaic County: Bloomingdale, Little Falls, North Haledon, Pompton Lakes, Totowa, Wanaque, Wayne and Woodland Park

Sussex County: Byram, Hopatcong, Ogdensburg, Sparta and Stanhope

Image via the campaigns