Dems pick challenger for GOP congressman who vanished from public view amid health mystery
Democrat Rebecca Bennett will face embattled Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in November's general election for a battleground New Jersey congressional seat in 2026.
TL;DR
- Rebecca Bennett won the Democratic nomination for a New Jersey House seat.
- She will face incumbent Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a Republican, in the general election.
- Kean has been absent from public view and Congress since early March due to an undisclosed health issue.
- The district is a battleground and considered critical for the House Republican majority.
- Kean has stated he will be transparent about his medical issue when he resumes in-person work within weeks.
- He has missed all recent roll call votes since March 5.
- Bennett ran a less progressive campaign than other Democrats in her primary, notably not calling for the abolition of ICE.
- The Cook Political Report rates the general election contest as a 'toss-up'.