NJ 7th District race pits Kean against Bennett on Nov. 3

Summit and surrounding communities head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, to choose their representative in Congress. The race for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District features three candidates: Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr., Democratic challenger Rebecca Bennett and independent Seamus Patrick O'Toole.

All 435 U.S. House seats are on the ballot. Republicans hold the chamber 218-212, according to WHYY's voter guide. The winner will serve a two-year term, introducing bills, voting on federal laws and serving on committees.

The 7th District covers all of Warren and Hunterdon counties, plus parts of Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Union counties, according to WHYY's district guide. That includes Summit, New Providence and Berkeley Heights.

The district has changed party control in each of the past two midterm elections, PBS NewsHour reported. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report now rates the race as leaning Democratic, according to NJ.com. Earlier in the year, Cook had rated it a toss-up.

October voter registration data from the NJ Division of Elections shows 218,268 registered Republicans, 202,071 Democrats and 212,745 unaffiliated voters in the district.

The candidates

Tom Kean Jr., 58, Republican (incumbent). Kean lives in Westfield. He graduated from Dartmouth College and earned a master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, according to WHYY. The son of former Gov. Tom Kean and grandson of former U.S. Rep. Robert Kean, he worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency before winning a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly in 2001. He served in the state Senate from 2003 to 2022, according to Patch. He won his U.S. House seat in 2022 by defeating Democratic incumbent Tom Malinowski and won a second term in 2024, PBS NewsHour reported.

Kean was absent from Congress for about four months starting in March 2026 after his last vote on March 5, according to NJ Spotlight News. He returned June 30 and said he had been hospitalized for depression, NJ.com reported. He missed more than 100 votes during that period, PBS NewsHour reported.

In a Patch questionnaire, Kean said he led the effort to quadruple the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap to $40,000 and said he has secured federal funding for local infrastructure and public safety projects. He said he co-led the bipartisan HELP Copays Act and introduced the Mental Health Parity Enforcement and Funding Act.

Rebecca Bennett, 39, Democrat. Bennett lives in Bridgewater with her husband and two children, according to WHYY. She served 15 years in the military as a helicopter pilot, experimental test pilot, aircraft commander and member of the Air National Guard. She earned an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. After leaving the military, she worked at digital health, healthcare technology and pharmaceutical companies, WHYY reported. She is a first-time political candidate and a former Republican who switched her affiliation, NJ.com reported.

Bennett told the New Jersey Monitor her focus would be tackling the cost-of-living crisis, taking on corruption in Washington and "putting country over party." In a News 12 New Jersey interview, Bennett discussed immigration, artificial intelligence data centers and the cost of living.

Seamus Patrick O'Toole, independent. O'Toole is also on the ballot. His campaign slogan is "Stop Israel's Genocide," according to WHYY. He does not have a campaign website. WHYY reported there is no record of public comments from O'Toole on domestic issues, and he has not been endorsed by any group or organization.

Key issues

Affordability and the SALT deduction have dominated the race. Kean said in his Patch questionnaire that he supports cutting federal red tape and pursuing energy and housing policies to lower costs. Bennett has focused on the cost of living and healthcare, the New Jersey Monitor reported.

The candidates clashed at a Sept. 27 debate over the war in Iran and tariffs, PBS NewsHour reported. Kean voted against resolutions aimed at halting military action in Iran and defended the war. Bennett called for ending the conflict. On tariffs, Kean said they were the president's prerogative, while Bennett said Congress should step in.

Gateway Tunnel funding is another flashpoint. NJ.com reported that the Trump administration has repeatedly challenged funding for the $16 billion rail project. Politico reported that Kean offered mild criticism of the funding freeze, saying he believes "Gateway is too important to delay."

Voting information

Polls are open Tuesday, Nov. 3. The NJ Division of Elections does not post running results on election night. County clerk websites are the best source for election-night results, according to the Division of Elections. All election-night results are unofficial until certified.

The Associated Press gathers results from local officials and declares winners when the trailing candidate no longer has a path to victory.