Rebecca Bennett is a Democratic congressional candidate running in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, a competitive swing district that includes parts of Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Morris, Sussex, and Warren counties. She launched her campaign for Congress in 2025 to challenge incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Kean Jr. in the 2026 election cycle. Bennett has centered her campaign on affordability, healthcare access, public service, and national security, while emphasizing her military leadership background.

Born and raised in a small town, Bennett pursued military service through an ROTC scholarship at Cornell University, where she studied chemical engineering. After graduation, she entered the United States Navy and became a helicopter pilot, later serving as an experimental test pilot and aircraft commander. During her military career, Bennett graduated at the top of her flight school class and attended the prestigious U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. She served for more than 15 years in the Navy and Air National Guard.

While serving in the military, Bennett earned an M.B.A. from The Wharton School using the GI Bill. After leaving active-duty service, she and her husband, also a Navy veteran, moved to New Jersey, where she worked in healthcare innovation and business leadership roles for startups and major healthcare companies. Her work focused on improving patient outcomes, expanding healthcare access, and reducing costs.

Bennett entered politics following the 2024 presidential election, stating that concerns about the country’s direction motivated her to seek office. She quickly emerged as one of the leading Democratic candidates in the crowded NJ-7 primary field, earning endorsements from grassroots organizations and becoming one of the strongest fundraisers in the race.

Political Career

• Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District (2025–present)
• Democratic candidate challenging Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in the 2026 election cycle
• Air National Guard officer and former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot
• Healthcare executive and business leader

Key Policy Areas

• Healthcare affordability and access
• Veterans’ services and military readiness
• Middle-class affordability and cost of living
• Government accountability and leadership
• Women’s rights and reproductive healthcare
• National security and public service

Notable Actions / Initiatives

• Served more than 15 years as a Navy helicopter pilot, aircraft commander, and Air National Guard officer.
• Graduated flight school at the top of her class and attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.
• Built a healthcare leadership career focused on expanding access to care and improving patient outcomes.
• Became one of the leading Democratic fundraisers in the highly competitive NJ-7 congressional race.
• Positioned herself as part of a national wave of Democratic military veterans running for Congress in competitive districts.

Education

• B.S., Chemical Engineering, Cornell University
• M.B.A., The Wharton School

Personal

• Navy veteran
• Air National Guard officer
• Healthcare executive
• Mother of two
• Resident of New Jersey

Stats

Democratic Party