# NJ Rep. Tom Kean Jr. loses to Rebecca Bennett after disappearing for nearly four months

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/nj-rep-tom-kean-jr-loses-to-rebecca-bennett-after-disappearing-for-nearly-four-months/
- Published: 2026-11-04T02:52:16+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T06:42:34+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Post (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://nypost.com/2026/11/03/us-news/nj-rep-tom-kean-jr-loses-to-rebecca-bennett/
- Topics: Americas, World

## Key points

- Rebecca Bennett defeated Tom Kean Jr. for New Jersey’s 7th District.
- Kean’s four-month absence became a major campaign issue.
- Bennett led by 25 percentage points as of 9:45 pm EST.

## Summary

Democrat Rebecca Bennett defeated Republican Tom Kean Jr. in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, ending his bid for a third term. Kean’s defeat followed a campaign damaged by his unexplained absence from Congress for nearly four months, which he later said was caused by severe depression.

As of 9:45 pm EST, Bennett led 62% to 37%. She is a former Navy helicopter pilot who campaigned on healthcare and criticised Kean’s support for President Trump; wider concerns about affordability, fuel prices, the Iran war and Trump’s approval also weighed on Republicans. Kean missed more than 100 roll-call votes between 5 March and 30 June, and his family has a long history in New Jersey politics.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.