Congressman Tom Kean Jr faces off with rival in New Jersey debate

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Republican congressman Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey and Democratic challenger Rebecca Bennett are preparing for Sunday night’s solitary debate in their tightly contested congressional race.

Kean could face questions over his four-month absence from Washington earlier this year that remained unexplained until he disclosed receiving medical treatment for depression.

The 7th Congressional District, which encompasses President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club, has flipped parties in each of the last two midterm elections, turning it into a major campaign spending hub and key political bellwether. Republicans hope to guard their thin House majority while Trump contends with low approval ratings and rising gas costs stemming from his war with Iran.

Kean, a former state legislator who comes from a deep political lineage, is pursuing a third term. He missed over 100 votes during his prolonged absence.

Rebecca Bennett, a Democrat candidate for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, and Rep. Tom Kean Jr, R-N.J. — Rebecca Bennett, a Democrat candidate for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, and Rep. Tom Kean Jr, R-N.J. (AP)

Reappearing in June, he shared that he had been hospitalized for depression and noted that he remains a private individual by nature.

Bennett, a political newcomer, previously served as a Navy pilot and healthcare executive. She captured a competitive primary in June and emerged as a moderate candidate seen as more electable than her rivals.

Millions of dollars have flooded into the contest.

A super PAC connected to the Republican president announced last week that it plans to deploy over $3 million to support Kean. Conversely, a Democratic-aligned political action committee reserved roughly $2.5 million for television advertising across the New York market to assist Bennett and another Democratic candidate in New York.

Although redistricting after the 2020 census favored Republicans slightly, Democrats continue to view the district as a top pickup prospect.

Kean won his seat in 2022 by defeating Democrat Tom Malinowski, who had previously ousted Republican Leonard Lance in 2018.

Kean belongs to a political dynasty extending back 250 years to the nation’s founding, when an ancestor became New Jersey’s first leader following independence.

His great-grandfather served as a senator, his grandfather as a congressman, and his father as a two-term governor.