Former Navy Pilot to Challenge Rep. Kean in New Jersey Battleground District

Rep. Kean has been absent from Congress for months with an unspecific health condition.

Rebecca Bennett, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot who is running to represent New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, poses for a photograph in Somerville, N.J., on Dec. 16, 2025. Jeenah Moon/Reuters

Former Navy pilot Rebecca Bennett has emerged victorious among four Democratic candidates vying to unseat Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) in a key battleground district that could determine control of the House.

The Associated Press called the race at 8:56 p.m. ET, with Bennet carrying 47.8 percent of the vote, more than 27 points ahead of the second-placed candidate.