Bennett projected to defeat Congressman Kean in New Jersey — The Hill

Democrat Rebecca Bennett is projected to defeat incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Kean Jr. in the election to the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. According to a Decision Desk HQ projection cited by The Hill, Bennett was leading her opponent by 22 percentage points.

As of 9:46 p.m. Tuesday, with 76% of votes counted, Bennett had 60.3% of the vote, while Kean had 38.3%. The district was considered one of the promising opportunities for Democrats to win a seat: in the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump won here by only a 2-percentage-point margin.

Bennett’s campaign

Bennett previously held an executive position in healthcare and served as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy. During her campaign, she did not focus heavily on Kean’s absence from Washington, instead emphasizing the cost of living and the affordability of goods and services. She also linked her opponent to President Donald Trump.

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Kean’s absence from Washington

Tom Kean Jr. was absent from the Capitol from March through the end of June. His office did not disclose details for several months, saying only that the congressman had health issues and would return soon. Kean’s Republican Party colleagues also said they did not know where he was or what had happened to him.

After returning, Kean said he had undergone treatment for depression. According to him, doctors recommended that he remain in the hospital, and what he had considered a short stay was prolonged. Kean Jr. is the son of former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean, who led the state in the 1980s. He won the seat in 2022 and was reelected by a narrow margin in 2024. According to the Decision Desk HQ projection, his attempt to win a third term will be unsuccessful.