The 7th Congressional District covers Hunterdon and Warren counties and parts of Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Union counties. The Morris County municipalities are Chester borough and township, Long Hill, Mendham Borough, Mine Hill, Mount Arlington, Mount Olive, Netcong, Roxbury, Washington, Wharton and part of Mendham Township. The Somerset County communities are Bedminster, Bernards, Bernardsville, Branchburg, Far Hills, Green Brook, Peapack Gladstone, Raritan, Somerville, Warren, Watchung and parts of Bridgewater and Hillsborough. The Sussex County municipalities are Andover Borough, Byram, Fredon, Green, Hopatcong, Ogdensburg, Sparta, Stanhope, Stillwater and Walpack. The Union County municipalities are Berkeley Heights, Clark, Fanwood, Mountainside, New Providence, Rahway, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Summit, Westfield, Winfield and part of Linden.
Republicans have the voter registration edge, with about 34% of all, compared with 31% who identify as Democrats. Almost all of the rest are unaffiliated.
The Republican incumbent is two-term Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a former state senator who first won the seat in 2022 after redistricting flipped the district’s registration edge from Democrat to Republican. He is running unopposed.
Four Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination. Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot now working in health system strategy, was endorsed by four of the six county Democratic parties — Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset and Union counties — and in the other two she is running under the slogan “Navy Pilot. Mom. Democracy Defender.” Brian Varela, a small business owner from Long Valley, was endorsed by the Sussex and Warren county Democratic parties and is running under the slogan “No Kings” in the other counties. Michael Roth, a former official with the U.S. Small Business Administration from Westfield, touts “Results. Reform. Lower Costs.” in his ballot slogan. Tina Shah, also of Westfield, is a doctor and former advisor to the U.S. surgeon general running under the banner “ICU Doctor Protecting Healthcare, Defending Rights.”
Editor’s note: All candidates for the congressional primary are being contacted for the NJ Decides 2026 voting guide. Check back to see who responded and any answers provided.
