Incumbent Thomas Kean Jr. (R) and Rebecca Bennett (D) are running in the general election to represent New Jersey's 7th Congressional District on Nov. 3.
New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein writes, "New Jersey’s 7th district is one of the most competitive in the nation and could be pivotal to determining which party controls the House next year. Kean flipped the seat in 2022 by three points when he ousted two-term Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes); President Donald Trump won NJ-7 by one point in 2024, and [Democratic] Gov. Mikie Sherrill carried it by two points in 2025."
Heading into the election, the district has roughly 19,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats. According to Politico, an advantage for Kean is name recognition; Kean comes from a family of prominent New Jersey politicians, with his father, Thomas H. Kean, serving as governor from 1982 to 1990. The outlet also says Democrats are confident they could pick up the district because of Kean's months-long, previously undisclosed absence from Congress, President Donald Trump's (R) endorsement of Kean, and Bennett's status as a moderate Democrat.
