Rebecca Bennettt, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, will square off against Congressman Tom Kean Jr. for control of New Jersey’s 7th Congressional district in November according to unofficial results released Tuesday night.
Bennett, who secured the Democratic nomination over challengers Tina Shah, Brian Varela and Michael Roth, closed out this year’s primary election with approximately 24,696 votes – or roughly 45.6 of the final tally as of the time of publication according to information provided by the Associated Press.
Congressman Kean, now in his second term, has been absent from the floor since March due to undisclosed health issues. Despite missing more than 100 votes this year, the Congressman says that he still plans to move ahead with plans to seek re-election in the fall.
“Right now, I am focused on my recovery and under the advice of healthcare professionals,” he said via public statement on Tuesday, adding that he plans to transition from “virtual” to “in person” work in the coming weeks, “I am optimistic about the road ahead and ready to earn the support of voters in every corner of this district.”
Republican John Murphy, meanwhile, was selected to represent the GOP opposite Senator Cory Booker. Murphy, an attorney from Tabernacle and the , has campaigned on a platform of fiscal responsibility and social conservativism.
This story will be updated to reflect local results and vote tallies as more information becomes available.
