Rebecca Bennett wins Democratic primary in New Jersey's 7th District to take on Rep. Tom Kean Jr.

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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, won the New Jersey Democratic primary in the battleground 7th Congressional District Tuesday to take on Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who has been away from Congress with an unspecified illness for months.

Bennett’s victory over three other Democrats in the closely-watched district sets up the state’s premier contest in November, when Democrats hope they can flip the onetime GOP stronghold that has proven competitive in recent years.

Winning in districts like the 7th, which includes bedroom communities and farm towns as well as President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club, will be key to Democratic hopes of gaining control of the narrowly divided House.

Bennett built her campaign around her experience as a Navy chopper pilot — reminiscent of Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s victorious campaign last year — as well as around affordability, noting that she drives a no-frills sedan and emphasizing her relatability as a working mom.

Her victory comes as Kean, who’s emphasized a bipartisan approach while also getting Trump’s endorsement, has missed numerous votes in the House. Kean issued a statement on Tuesday saying “I will continue putting our constituents first” and “I am optimistic about the road ahead.”

“Right now I am focused on my recovery and under the advice of healthcare professionals. I will transition from virtual work to in person work within a matter of weeks,” Kean said.

Bennett has mostly focused on Kean’s voting record, which she’s cast as a failure for the district. Kean, before his absence, hailed Trump’s signature domestic legislation, a package of spending and tax cuts, that expanded the state and local tax deduction known as SALT. New Jersey has among the highest property taxes in the nation.

Her victory also came as she came under fire from the left in the final days of the race from a political action committee that spent about $650,000 in the primary. Bennett said in an interview she believes the group, whose donors haven’t been disclosed, is Republican-backed and aims to weaken her candidacy because they fear her in the general election.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) —

Democrats were choosing their U.S. House nominee on Tuesday in a New Jersey battleground district represented by Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr., who's been absent from Congress for months as he deals with an unspecified medical issue.

New Jersey's 7th District, which includes suburban towns and rolling farmland — and one of President Donald Trump's golf clubs — is the state's highest-profile primary. Four Democrats competed to take on Kean, whose aides have said he plans on seeking a third term. Polls in the primary election closed at 8 p.m. EDT.

Kean's absence — his last vote was in early March — has supercharged interest in the seat, which Democrats view as key to winning control of the narrowly divided House and Republicans recognize as important to defend. Voters in the district have ousted two incumbents during midterm elections over the past decade.

Trump endorsed Kean in a social media post late Monday and didn't mention his absence from Congress or his medical issue.

“A Tremendous Advocate of our America First Agenda, Tom is working tirelessly,” the president said.

Kean issued a statement on Tuesday saying “I will continue putting our constituents first” and “I am optimistic about the road ahead.”

“Right now I am focused on my recovery and under the advice of healthcare professionals. I will transition from virtual work to in person work within a matter of weeks,” Kean said. “I look forward to sharing my experience with the public.”

Kean told a local political blog nearly two weeks ago that he expected to be back “in the next couple of weeks.”

Democratic voters are deciding between Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot whose background mirrors Gov. Mikie Sherrill 's; Michael Roth, a former Small Business Administration official; Tina Shah, an intensive care unit doctor; and Brian Varela, a businessman with backing from progressive groups.

The campaign has been hotly contested, with each candidate bringing in seven figures in fundraising and walking a line between appealing to the party's base and to more independent general election voters.

Bennett's campaign has come under fire from a political action committee that's spent about $650,000 in the primary, attacking her from the left. Bennett said in an interview she believes the group, whose donors haven't been disclosed, is Republican-backed and aiming to weaken her candidacy because they fear her in the general election.

The Democrats are leaning into the rising costs of groceries and gasoline caused by the Iran war and Trump's sweeping tariffs. They're casting blame at Republicans and Kean in particular, who they say is a bad fit for the district, pointing to his support for the president's signature tax cut legislation.

The district was redrawn after the most recent census to become more favorable to Republicans, but it's gone back and forth in recent years. Kean ousted incumbent Democrat Tom Malinowski in 2022, who defeated Republican Rep. Leonard Lance in 2018.

Also being watched Tuesday is a Republican Senate primary. The party has been adrift in New Jersey since last year, when its Trump-backed candidate for governor lost by double digits. Voters faced a four-way race between attorney Justin Murphy, surgeon Robert Lebovics, Army veteran Richard Tabor and former TV reporter Alex Zdan.

The winner will face Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, who is running for a full third term.

More House seats could have noteworthy campaigns in the fall.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew is seeking a fifth term in southern New Jersey’s 2nd District. He was originally elected as a Democrat but switched to the Republican Party during Trump's first term.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman is retiring from the heavily Democratic 12th District in central New Jersey, where a crowded primary field were vying to succeed her.

Dr. Adam Hamawy, a surgeon and Army veteran, has shot to prominence with endorsements from independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and other progressives. Some of his opponents recently began criticizing him over his connection to Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, a blind Egyptian cleric convicted in 1995 of conspiring to blow up the United Nations and other New York-area landmarks.

Hamawy was a defense witness in the sheikh's trial but wasn’t accused of wrongdoing. He has condemned violence and distanced himself from the sheikh during the campaign. Abdel-Rahman died in federal prison in 2017.

Republicans were picking their nominee in northern New Jersey's 9th District, choosing between attorney Tiffany Burress and Clifton City Councilwoman Rosie Pino, to take on first-term Democratic Rep. Nellie Pou. Pou's margin of victory in 2024 was narrower than her long-serving predecessor, Rep. Bill Pascrell, and coincided with Trump winning a county in the district.