Features

Preview of 2026 New Jersey midterm general election: Kean vs. Bennnett

Amelia Carpenter, Austyn Hackmann, Ella Genovese, and Kaylee Lubitz

October 27, 2026

The U.S. Capitol building is where Congress and the Senate convene to discuss issues. The next session of congress begins January 3rd, 2027. (Photo via nps.gov)

Early voting opens Oct. 24 and ends Nov. 1. Regular midterm polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Mail in votes must be dropped off to a secure ballot location by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

The 2026 midterm elections

The 2026 midterm election will take place on Nov. 3.

The Democratic Congress candidate is Rebecca Bennett; and the Republican candidate is Tom Kean Jr.

Currently, the Republican Party holds a majority of Congress, with 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, 1 Independent, and two vacancies.

The winner will be sworn into the 120th Congress on Jan. 3, 2027, when the new Congress holds session for the first time.

The midterms take place every four years, halfway through the President’s term. The next one will be held in 2030.

Early voting opens Oct. 24 and ends Nov. 1. Regular midterm polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Mail in votes must be dropped off to a secure ballot location by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. (Amelia Carpenter)

Republican candidate Tom Kean Jr. Kean's first year in congress was 2023 and he is running for a second term (Photo via kean.house.gov).

Background on Kean

Tom Kean Jr. is a Republican currently running for his second term for the 7th congressional district of New Jersey.

Kean graduated from Dartmouth College in 1986. He got his masters in law and diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts university in 1997. He then completed his doctoral studies (all but dissertation) (ABD) at Fletcher.

His public service career began when he was appointed to work in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by George H.W. Bush. Following that, he worked as an advisor in Bob Franks’ office in Washington.

In 2001, he was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly, where he served until 2003. In that time, worked with both parties in a bipartisan effort.

He then served 14 years in the New Jersey Senate, where he served on a collection of committees such as Higher Education, Health and Human Services, Budget and Appropriations, and Judiciary and Legislative Oversight.

During the Republican primary election on June 2, he ran uncontested and won. He was elected to Congress in 2023.

This year, Kean didn’t vote from March 5 to June 3o (117 days) due to an unspecified health issue. He missed over 100 votes, and was still paid while on his leave.

If he wins this election, it will be his second term.

Republican candidate Tom Kean Jr. Kean’s first year in congress was 2023 and he is running for a second term (Photo via kean.house.gov).

Democrat candidate Rebecca Bennett. This is Bennett's first time running for any form of government office (Photo via rebeccabennettforcongress.com).

Background on Bennett

Rebecca Bennett is a Democrat currently running for her first term for the 7th congressional district of New Jersey.

Bennett graduated with a degree in chemical engineering at Cornell on a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship. After that, she graduated top of her class at Navy Flight School and was selected to attend Navy Test Pilot School.

She flied MH-60S Seahawk helicopters for the Navy. Over her 15 years in the Navy, she served in multiple roles as a helicopter pilot: aircraft commander, experimental test pilot and member of the Air National Guard.

She then attended The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania for her Masters of Business Administration while serving using the GI bill.

During the Democratic primary election on June 2, she beat out 3 other candidates, securing 45.4% of all votes.

This is Bennett’s first time campaigning for any type of political office. If she wins this election, it would be her first term in Congress.

Democrat candidate Rebecca Bennett. This is Bennett’s first time running for any form of government office (Photo via rebeccabennettforcongress.com).

Key issues

There are a few key issues voters are concerned about this midterm.

Key issues

Affordability crisis

The affordability crisis is an important issue for voters.

Kean says he is focused on creating new jobs and economic opportunities, promoting small business growth, and addressing the government’s spending and financial habits.

He says he will promote policies which will help grow and develop small businesses. He says “It is those small businesses and innovators that are guiding our nation’s economy, not Washington, and I promise to do everything in my power to support our job creators.”

He also says he will enact policies that create new jobs, and put more wealth into the hands of New Jersey citizens. One way he says he will do this is by removing some of the regulatory barriers people must pass when creating jobs.

He also says that he wants to address the government’s finances and address the nation’s debt. He intends to do this by eliminating unnecessary programs and cutting unnecessary spending.

Bennett specifically focused on the housing affordability crisis in her proposed policies.

Bennett says she plans to vote to end the trade war on her first day in office. The trade war with China has been going on since early 2026.

She also says she will ask the DOJ and FTC to investigate businesses and investors buying homes to control housing and property prices. She says she will use those results to campaign to change the NJ tax policy to favor homeowners.

She also says she wants to undo Trump’s tax cuts for people who make over $500,000 to make it easier for people to buy houses. She also says she will campaign to make laws which prosecute rental companies and landlords who practice algorithmic price fixing.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure is the necessary basis for a society to function, like roads, buildings and utilities.

Kean says he is going to improve general traffic issues, continue building and repairing public roads and buildings through public-private partnerships (PPP), and vote to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Kean says he is currently working to solve traffic issues, like congestion on roads, commuter railway systems, and outdated and potentially dangerous roads and bridges. He also mentions that he recognizes that this causes internet issues. He says he will fix these problems by creating changes in both national and local transportation policies to keep travelers throughout the district safe.

He also says he will continue to “leverage public-private partnerships” to fix infrastructure. One example of a “public-private partnership” is the Gateway Program, or a tunnel under the Hudson River.

Kean also says he will advocate on behalf of NJ airport workers and controllers when voting to reauthorize the FAA.

Bennett says she is going to improve NJ TRANSIT, fix aging roads and bridges, and fix the Newark Airport (including FAA shortages).

Bennett says she plans to improve NJ TRANSIT by continuing to campaign and secure funding for theGateway Program. She also plans to secure more funding for bus programs, like the NJ TRANSIT and Hunterdon County Link, in rural counties like Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren.

She also says she is going to invest more funding into fixing outdated roads and bridges. Specific examples she wants to grant more funding to are the I-78 in Hunterdon County and sinkholes in Warren and Morris Counties. She says that these changes will reduce traffic and save New Jersey Residents nearly $700.

She also says she is going to modernize air traffic controlling systems, and she plans to work with the state to expand Air Traffic Controllers programs, like the AT-CTI.

Healthcare

The rising costs of healthcare is a particularly pressing issue to some voters.

Kean says he is going to center healthcare around the patient, increase access to patient care, enhance medical companies transparency, and lower drug prices.

Kean says that he will make healthcare more patient-centered. He said that “patients and providers should be in control of their own health care decisions.”

He also says he will increase patient’s access to care. He plans to do this by providing insurance to individuals with preexisting conditions. He also says he will campaign to allow certain dependents to continue to stay on a parent or guardian’s plan past the age they would usually be kicked off. He also said he will expand telemedicine.

He also says he will enhance the transparency of medical and insurance companies. He plans to do this by ending surprise billing in prescription and drug markets.

He also says he will lower drug prices and increase access to new, innovative medical treatments. He says he will do that by manufacturing pharmaceuticals in America instead of importing them from other countries. This ties into how he wants to continue to improve medical innovations.

Bennett says she will restore cuts made Medicare and Medicaid, increase metal health services for youth and young adults, oppose cuts to health research, and change how insurance companies are paid.

She also says she will restore Medicare and Medicaid cuts. She says the cuts she intends to restore were made by Tom Kean Jr., and MAGA Republicans. She says reinstating these cuts will lower health insurance and lower healthcare costs.

She also says she will increase youth, preteen and young adult mental health services. She intends to do this by shortening wait times between appointments and providing the youth greater access to services.

She also says she will oppose cuts to the National Institute of Health. She highlights wanting to oppose cuts specifically made to veterans and women.

She also says she will streamline cross state licensing for doctors. She wants this so doctors can move and work where they are most needed.

She also wants to change how insurance companies are rewarded. She states that she wants to “shift incentives toward outcomes, so provider organizations and insurance companies are rewarded for keeping people healthy, not just for the number of procedures performed.”

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About the Contributors

Amelia Carpenter, Opinion Editor

Amelia is a sophomore, and this is her second year writing for The Delphi. In her free time, she does crew for the fall play and winter musical. She also enjoys going for walks, drawing, stargazing, watching tv, and listening to music.

Austyn Hackmann, Managing Editor

Austyn Hackmann is a junior and this is her third year on The Delphi staff. Austyn is a member of the New Voices Student Leadership Institute, currently working on introducing an amended version of the New Voices Bill that protects private school advisors and students. Last year, Austyn began her advocacy journey when publishing an opinion piece titled “Students need New Voices now more than ever.” Shortly after publishing the article, she found out about the institute, applied for a position, and was accepted along with 25 other students across the country. At Del Val, Austyn is involved in the Thespian and Quill and Scroll honor societies, Varsity Softball, and Peer Leaders. Outside of school, Austyn spends her time playing for a club softball team, working at a local bagel shop, and playing video games.

Ella Genovese, Editor-in-chief

Ella Genovese is a senior at Del Val. This is her fourth year writing for The Delphi. She is also a stage manager for this year’s fall play. Ella is also involved in NHS, Book Club and Peer Leaders. In her free time, Ella likes to read and listen to music.

Kaylee Lubitz, Multimedia Editor

Kaylee Lubitz is a sophomore at Del Val. She is a first time editor who loves to read and write while also listening to music. She is also part of the Business Academy and strives to be a book publisher one day.