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U.S. House · New Jersey's 7th District

Northwestern and central New Jersey, including all or part of Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Union, Warren, and Essex counties.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

RESULT · UNOFFICIAL UNTIL CERTIFIED

Rebecca Bennett, projected winner

CandidateVotesShare
Rebecca Bennett189,97757.3%
Thomas Kean Jr.136,38841.1%
Seamus O'Toole5,1111.5%

About 97% of the expected vote counted. As of November 9. Winners take office next year. Counts can change until states certify. NBC News ↗

Sources re-checked September 25, 2026 · How we research

  • Incumbent Thomas Kean Jr. won the June 2, 2026 Republican primary unopposed. Rebecca Bennett won a contested Democratic primary with 45.3% of the vote against Tina Shah, Brian Varela, and Michael Roth.[1]
  • Ballotpedia identifies NJ-7 as a 2026 battleground race. Kean flipped the seat in 2022 by three points, defeating then-Rep. Tom Malinowski; Donald Trump won the district by one point in 2024 and Gov. Mikie Sherrill carried it by two points in 2025. As of August 11, 2026, the district had roughly 19,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats, and forecasters rated the race a Toss-up or Lean/Tilt Democratic.[2]
  • According to Ballotpedia's summary of Politico's coverage, Democrats say they are confident about the race in part because of a months-long, previously undisclosed absence from Congress by Kean, along with President Trump's endorsement of Kean and Bennett's profile as a moderate Democrat.[2]

On the November 3 ballot · 3 candidates

Thomas Kean Jr.RINCUMBENTU.S. Representative, NJ-7 (since 2023)Full profile →Rebecca BennettDPROJECTED WINNERFull profile →Seamus O'TooleStop Israel's Genocide PartyFull profile →

Issue evidence — side by side

Recorded votes, documented positions and candidates’ own words are shown with sources. “In their own words” quotes a candidate on the topic without inferring a stance. Votes describe specific bills or motions; they do not establish overall support or opposition to a broad issue. A dash means our research has no evidence on that topic, not that the candidate has no position.

Protect legal access to abortion

  • Thomas Kean Jr.
    —
  • Rebecca Bennett
    Supports[11]

    Campaign website says she will restore a woman's right to choose at the federal level.

  • Seamus O'Toole
    —

Stricter gun laws

  • Thomas Kean Jr.
    —
  • Rebecca Bennett
    Supports[13]

    Campaign website says she would pass gun safety reforms, get "weapons of war" off the streets, reimplement the tax on silencers and restore CDC gun-safety research funding.

  • Seamus O'Toole
    —

Expand immigration enforcement and deportations

  • Thomas Kean Jr.
    Recorded votes[20][21][22][23][24]

    Voted yes on Laken Riley Act (S. 5, 2025-01-22). Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which funded expanded immigration enforcement, detention and border operations. Voted yes on Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2, 2023-05-11).

  • Rebecca Bennett
    —
  • Seamus O'Toole
    —

Loosen zoning rules to build more housing

  • Thomas Kean Jr.
    —
  • Rebecca Bennett
    Supports[15]

    Campaign website says she would cut red tape and increase housing supply and construction.

  • Seamus O'Toole
    —

Raise taxes on high earners or corporations

  • Thomas Kean Jr.
    Recorded votes[21][22][23]

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.

  • Rebecca Bennett
    —
  • Seamus O'Toole
    —

Expand public health coverage

  • Thomas Kean Jr.
    Recorded votes[21][22][23][26]

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements. Voted yes on Breaking the Gridlock Act (H.R. 1834, 2026-01-08), which extended enhanced ACA premium subsidies.

  • Rebecca Bennett
    Supports[12]

    Campaign website says she would restore Medicaid and Medicare cuts and protect people with pre-existing conditions.

  • Seamus O'Toole
    —

Faster transition away from fossil fuels

  • Thomas Kean Jr.
    Recorded votes[21][22][23]

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.

  • Rebecca Bennett
    Supports[14]

    Campaign website says she would incentivize renewable and green energy, including solar installation and electric vehicles, and preserve environmental grants for renewable energy.

  • Seamus O'Toole
    —

Broad tariffs on imported goods

  • Thomas Kean Jr.
    Recorded votes[28]

    Voted no on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11), which disapproved the tariffs on Canadian imports.

  • Rebecca Bennett
    —
  • Seamus O'Toole
    —

Require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote

  • Thomas Kean Jr.
    Recorded votes[25]

    Voted yes on SAVE Act (H.R. 22, 2025-04-10).

  • Rebecca Bennett
    —
  • Seamus O'Toole
    —

Require Congress to approve U.S. military action abroad

  • Thomas Kean Jr.
    Recorded votes[27]

    Voted no on War Powers Resolution on Venezuela (H. Con. Res. 64, 2025-12-17), which would have directed the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Venezuela absent congressional authorization.

  • Rebecca Bennett
    —
  • Seamus O'Toole
    —

Research notes & limits

Federal key floor votes and FEC finance totals for Kean are added separately by script. Some of Kean's official press releases date to 2023-2024 because his office's public press-release feed had no newer items available at the time of research. No public record was found for Seamus O'Toole beyond his Ballotpedia listing. Seamus O'Toole's Ballotpedia profile lists only his party line and ballot status; no further biographical information was found.

Sources · 36

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
  2. 2.New Jersey's 7th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
  3. 3.Thomas Kean Jr. — Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia (Candidate Connection survey) Candidate's own words
  4. 4.Senate Passes Kean's Fire Grants and Safety Act · Office of Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. · 2024-06-18 Official record
  5. 5.Kean's One-Seat-Ride Act Advances in House · Office of Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. · 2023-07-27 Official record
  6. 6.Congressman Kean Brings Home More Than $100 Million for New Jersey's Seventh District · Office of Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. · 2026-07-20 Official record
  7. 7.Kean Introduces Bill to Protect Children Online, Adding New Parental Controls to Video Games · Office of Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. · 2025-11-26 Official record
  8. 8.Kean Introduces Landmark Bill to Put Mental Health Care on Equal Footing with Physical Health Care · Office of Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. · 2026-07-01 Official record
  9. 9.Rebecca Bennett (New Jersey) — Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia (Candidate Connection survey) Candidate's own words
  10. 10.Kean and Republican Lawmakers Urge Speaker Johnson to Extend ACA Tax Credits, Address Healthcare Affordability · Office of Rep. Tom Kean Jr. · 2025-10-21 Official record
  11. 11.Defending Our Freedoms · Rebecca Bennett for Congress campaign website Candidate's own words
  12. 12.Lowering Healthcare Costs · Rebecca Bennett for Congress campaign website Candidate's own words
  13. 13.Keeping Our Neighborhoods Safe · Rebecca Bennett for Congress campaign website Candidate's own words
  14. 14.Safeguarding New Jersey's Environment · Rebecca Bennett for Congress campaign website Candidate's own words
  15. 15.Making New Jersey More Affordable · Rebecca Bennett for Congress campaign website Candidate's own words
  16. 16.Thomas Kean Jr. · Ballotpedia Reference
  17. 17.About | Congressman Thomas Kean Jr. · Office of Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. Official record
  18. 18.New Jersey's 7th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
  19. 19.U.S. House · New Jersey's 7th District results 2026 · NBC News News report
  20. 20.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-01-22 Official record
  21. 21.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-05-22 Official record
  22. 22.H.R. 1 (119th Congress) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act: text and summary · Congress.gov Official record
  23. 23.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-07-03 Official record
  24. 24.Roll call: Secure the Border Act of 2023 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2023-05-11 Official record
  25. 25.Roll call: SAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-04-10 Official record
  26. 26.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
  27. 27.Roll call: War Powers Resolution on Venezuela · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-12-17 Official record
  28. 28.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record
  29. 29.New Jersey's 7th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
  30. 30.Rebecca Bennett (New Jersey) — Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia (Candidate Connection survey) Candidate's own words
  31. 31.Meet Rebecca — Rebecca Bennett for Congress · Rebecca Bennett for Congress Candidate's own words
  32. 32.Rebecca Bennett's campaign website, as quoted by Ballotpedia (March 6, 2026) · Ballotpedia, quoting Rebecca Bennett for Congress campaign website · 2026-03-06 Candidate's own words
  33. 33.New Jersey election 2026: What to know about the 7th Congressional District race · WHYY · 2026-09-28 News report
  34. 34.New Jersey's 7th District U.S. House election results 2026 · NBC News News report
  35. 35.Seamus O'Toole · Ballotpedia Reference
  36. 36.U.S. House · New Jersey's 7th District results 2026 · NBC News News report