Overview
- Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr. and Democrat Rebecca Bennett are the major‑party nominees competing for the Nov. 3 general election for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.
- Kean is a longtime New Jersey politician who serves on the House Energy and Commerce and Foreign Affairs Committees and returned to the House after an extended absence in June when he disclosed a diagnosis of depression.
- Bennett is a first‑time candidate, a former Navy helicopter pilot and health‑care executive whose platform stresses lowering health costs, restoring the SALT deduction for New Jersey taxpayers, investing in clean energy and banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks.
- The campaigns sharply disagree on national policy, with debate clashes over U.S. policy toward Iran and presidential authority to set tariffs, and both sides have drawn outside spending and tighter race ratings from observers.
- Voters in the suburban‑exurban district will decide a seat that national strategists view as competitive, so watch late fundraising, outside ad buys and final debates for signs of which campaign can better persuade undecided voters on affordability and ethics.