Rebecca Bennett

According to her campaign website, Bennett grew up in a small town and earned a high school diploma from the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science; WHYY reports she was born in New York and grew up in Texas.[3][4][10] She earned a bachelor's degree from Cornell University, where she studied chemical engineering on an ROTC scholarship, before commissioning into the U.S. Navy.[3][4] She served more than 15 years in the Navy and Air National Guard as a helicopter pilot, experimental test pilot and aircraft commander, flying the MH-60 Seahawk; according to her Ballotpedia survey, she became the 18th female U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduate.[3][4] She earned an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School using the GI Bill while serving as a test pilot.[3][4]

After leaving active duty, Bennett moved to New Jersey with her husband, also a Navy veteran, and worked in healthcare from early-stage startups to Fortune 50 companies; her campaign website says her work covered women's health, oncology, obesity and gastrointestinal care, and WHYY describes her employers as digital health, health care technology and pharmaceutical companies.[3][4][11][10] She is vice president of strategic partnerships and network operations at Oshi Health.[2] Bennett was previously a registered Republican and switched her registration to Democratic in July 2016.[2] She describes herself as a mother of two and says she volunteers to support veterans transitioning to civilian careers; WHYY reports that she lives in Bridgewater with her husband and two children.[3][10] During the campaign, she emphasized affordability, healthcare and national security.[2][3][4] She won the November 3, 2026 general election with 57.3% of the vote to Thomas Kean Jr.'s 41.1% and Seamus O'Toole's 1.5%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[1]