Democrat Rebecca Bennett outraised Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. by a 4-1 margin during the third quarter, pulling in more than $4 million compared to Kean’s $974,000. The fundraising surge gives Bennett a $2 million overall advantage in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, one of the nation’s most competitive House districts.
Fundraising Totals and Campaign Cash
Bennett has raised more than $8 million overall in her bid to unseat the two-term Republican incumbent, while Kean has brought in about $6 million. Despite Bennett’s dominant quarterly haul, Kean maintains a larger financial cushion with nearly $2.9 million in cash-on-hand as of the latest filings. Bennett reported $1.6 million in cash on hand as of September 30.
I am relieved that Congressman Tom Kean Jr. is well and continue to wish him good health. But let’s be clear: I got into this race because Tom Kean Jr. was failing our community long before this absence. He was the deciding vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill, which jacked up… pic.twitter.com/cNYxwKPzPG
Kean’s third-quarter intake showed recovery from the previous period, when a month-long hospitalization for depression slowed his campaign activities. During that second quarter, Kean raised $519,142 while Bennett collected $1.6 million. Kean also added $25,000 to his victory committee over the last three months.
Outside Spending Shifts in the District
The widening financial gap coincides with a retreat by major national Republican outside groups. The Congressional Leadership Fund, aligned with House Speaker Mike Johnson, and President Donald Trump’s Affordability and Safety PAC are withdrawing their remaining television advertising investments in the 7th District to deploy resources elsewhere, according to a New York Times report. That departure leaves the National Republican Congressional Committee as Kean’s principal source of national Republican support.
For the past six months, Republican outside groups heavily outspent Democrats, giving Kean a substantial television advertising advantage in the media-heavy New York City market. Total expenditures for the 2024 battle against Sue Altman reached $26.3 million, setting a record for the highest-cost House contest in New Jersey annals.
Candidate Responses and District Dynamics
“I am deeply grateful for the incredible surge of support coming in from every corner of New Jersey and across the nation,” Kean said. With the race entering its final phase, these contributions guarantee that our platform—focused on reducing costs for hardworking households, safeguarding medical care, and fortifying our neighborhoods—will be delivered to every home in the 7th District. “We are going to sprint through the finish line as the clear common sense choice for New Jersey.”
Voter alignment in the district remains closely divided. Trump won NJ-7 by one percentage point in 2024, and Mikie Sherrill carried it by two points last year.
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