Democrat Rebecca Bennett looks to unseat Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr. in NJ-7 race
Democrats are betting on New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District to flip the House in the Midterms as the Republican incumbent bids for reelection.
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. is currently serving his second term, while Democratic candidate Rebecca Bennett looks to unseat him.
The district encompasses all of Hunterdon and Warren counties and parts of Union, Somerset, Morris and Sussex counties. Republicans dominate the area, with the number of registered voters outnumbering Democrats.
But the district is vulnerable, with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rating the race a toss-up, leaning Democratic.
Who is Rebecca Bennett?
CBS News New York's Christine Sloan sat down with Bennett for an interview to talk about the upcoming election.
She is a former Navy helicopter pilot and a mother of two.
Bennett said healthcare is one of the main focuses of her campaign, as she formerly worked in the industry.
"People deserve access to quality, affordable healthcare regardless of their employment status," she said.
Some voters say they end up footing the bill if healthcare and Medicaid are subsidized.
"I would say what happens when we take healthcare away from people is, ultimately, they wait until they're sicker and then they go to the emergency room, which is the most expensive place to get care," she said.
Bennett also said she would vote to stop the war in Iran.
"Anytime we are going to go put American service members in harm's way, there needs to be a clear motivation, clear objective and a clear exit strategy. We have not seen any of that from this administration," she said.
Bennett also said if she is elected, one of her goals would be to sit on the transportation committee.
"We have got to make sure we're getting Gateway done, we're getting One Seat Ride done for the Raritan Valley line," she said.
Who is Tom Kean Jr.?
Kean Jr. has held the District 7 seat since 2023. He won the seat after redistricting made the district more favorable to Republicans.
President Trump endorsed Kean, previously saying he's "working tirelessly" to achieve his priorities.
CBS News New York has reached out to Kean's campaign several times for an interview and has not heard back.
During a debate, he expanded on his campaign priorities.
Kean said Iran's regime is a threat to the world.
"We know that they want nukes. You can't say they shouldn't have nukes and then do nothing about it. That's insane," he said.
Kean said during the debate that he pushed for Gateway and SALT deductions.
"I got it done focusing on going against my own president," he said.
Notably, Kean missed more than 140 votes from March to June due to a long stay in the hospital.
Kean said he initially entered the hospital for testing due to health concerns and was diagnosed with depression.
"Now, when people hear the word 'depression,' many people think … it means feeling sad, but depression is so much more than that. It is physical, it is emotional, and until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be," he said.
