Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, claimed victory in the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District on Tuesday. This district is currently under the representation of GOP Rep. Tom Kean, whose absence has been notably mysterious.
At 37, Bennett outpaced three fellow Democrats to secure the nomination for what Democrats consider one of their prime opportunities to flip in the upcoming November 3 midterms.
On the night before the election, Bennett shared her determination in a Substack post, stating, “NJ-07 deserves a representative who actually shows up for every family.”
She continued, “Should I have the privilege of representing this district, I want everyone to know that I will rise each day committed to working tirelessly on your behalf, just as I do for my own children. We are bringing this fight to November. I’m prepared, and I believe you are too.”
Bennett’s extensive military career spans over 15 years, where she served as a helicopter pilot, experimental test pilot, aircraft commander, and a member of the Air National Guard. She entered the election as a frontrunner, with various polls indicating her significant lead over competitors.
In a recent television commercial, Bennett declared, “I’ve defended this nation once, and I’m ready to do it again,” promoting herself as “the only Democrat capable of stopping Donald Trump.”
Bennett, a graduate of Cornell and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, raised more than $2.6 million for her primary campaign, outpacing all her Democratic competitors.
Bennett has made the rising cost of living her main issue on the campaign trail and has pledged to work to undo Trump’s tax cuts as a means of addressing affordability concerns.
Voters in the expansive 7th District, which included Trump’s Bedminster country club, went for the president over former Vice President Kamala Harris by two percentage points in the 2024 presidential election – but backed Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill over Republican Jack Ciattarelli by the same margin in last year’s gubernatorial race.
Kean, who has not cast a vote in Congress since March 5, was running unopposed in the GOP primary for the district, which is rated a “toss-up” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
In late April, the GOP congressman claimed in a social media post that he was dealing with a “personal medical issue.”
Late last month, in an interview with the New Jersey Globe, Kean declined to elaborate on the specific ailment he’s dealing with but said he’d be back in Congress and campaigning “in the next couple of weeks.”
“My doctors are confident that I’m on the road to a full recovery,” the New Jersey Republican said. “I understand the need for public transparency, and I appreciate the support of my constituents.
“I anticipate that in the next couple of weeks, I’ll return to voting and to the campaign trail.”
Asked about Kean’s absence, Bennett told NBC News last month that “I certainly wish him well, and I hope he has a speedy recovery. I do think looking at his record, he has absolutely failed this district”
“If I was our member of Congress,” she added, “I would certainly be more transparent about what’s going on.”
