Rebecca Bennett (D) defeated incumbent Thomas Kean Jr. (R) and Seamus O'Toole (Stop Israel's Genocide Party) in the general election to represent New Jersey's 7th Congressional District on November 3, 2026. Click here for detailed results.

New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein wrote, "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 had roughly 19,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats. According to Politico, an advantage for Kean was name recognition; Kean came from a family of prominent New Jersey politicians, with his father, Thomas H. Kean, serving as governor from 1982 to 1990. The outlet also said Democrats were 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.

As of November 3, 2026, The Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the district Lean Democratic, while Inside Elections and DDHQ/The Hill rated it Tilt and Likely Democratic, respectively.

Bennett was vice president of strategic partnerships and network operations at Oshi Health and a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot. She was previously a Republican but registered as a Democrat in July 2016. Bennett's campaign website said of the switch, "But when the Republican party embraced Donald Trump for President in 2016, she knew she had to take action. ... In Congress, Rebecca Bennett will help bring down costs for New Jersey families, expand access to healthcare, and ensure America’s national security is prioritized."

Kean had represented the 7th District since 2023. Before being elected to Congress, he served in the New Jersey Senate from 2003 to 2022 and the New Jersey General Assembly from 2001 to 2003. Kean's campaign website said, "I am an independent leader standing up for what is right for New Jersey – working to lower the cost of living, protect healthcare, strengthen our communities, and ensure America is strong at home and around the world."

The outcome of this race affected the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 120th Congress. All 435 U.S. House districts were up for election.

At the time of the election, Republicans had a 219-214 majority with two vacancies in the U.S. House. To read more about the U.S. House elections that took place in 2026, click here.

Thomas Kean Jr. (R) and Rebecca Bennett (D) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.