By David Morgan
WASHINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) - Democrat Rebecca Bennett emerged from a highly competitive primary on Tuesday to take on Republican U.S. Representative Thomas Kean in the November general election in New Jersey's seventh congressional district, U.S. media projected.
Bennett emerged from a crowded field as the winner with a 28 point-lead over her closest rival, Tina Shah, with 48% of the vote counted, according to the Associated Press. Kean, who has been absent from Congress with a mystery
medical issue since early March, ran unopposed.
Kean and Bennett will now square off in November for a seat that has changed party hands twice within the past eight years and now ranks as a key target for Democrats hoping to capture the House of Representatives. Independent analysts rate the contest as a toss-up.
The swing district of suburbs and small towns stretches from Staten Island to the Pennsylvania border and includes President Donald Trump's Bedminster golf course. Trump carried the district in 2024, edging out Democrat Kamala Harris by just over a percentage point.
Kean, 57, is the scion of a storied New Jersey political family. His father, Thomas, was governor for nearly two decades. His great grandfather was a longtime congressman. And he is descended from the state's first governor, William Livingston. Most recently, Kean has been prominent for missing more than 100 House votes due to an undisclosed medical condition.
Hours before polls closed, Kean released a statement promising to be transparent about his health but pushing his return to work further into the future, after saying on May 21 that he would be back in "a couple of weeks." "Right now, I am focused on my recovery and under the advice of healthcare professionals, I will transition from virtual to in person work within a matter of weeks," Kean said.
Bennett, 39, a healthcare executive and former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, has been seen as the Democratic frontrunner, with a fund-raising advantage and endorsements from Democratic parties in the district's four largest counties.
(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Michael Learmonth and Lincoln Feast)
