New Jersey Democrats pick opponent in district where U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. has been absent

By — Mike Catalini, Associated Press Mike Catalini, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/new-jersey-democrats-pick-opponent-in-district-where-u-s-rep-tom-kean-jr-has-been-absent Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter New Jersey Democrats pick opponent in district where U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. has been absent Politics Jun 2, 2026 12:56 PM EDT TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Democrats will choose their U.S. House nominee on Tuesday in a New Jersey battleground district represented by Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr., who's been absent from Congress for months as he deals with an unspecified medical issue. New Jersey's 7th District, which includes suburban towns and rolling farmland — and one of President Donald Trump's golf clubs — is the state's highest-profile primary. Four Democrats are competing to take on Kean, whose aides have said he plans on seeking a third term. READ MORE: Live Results: New Jersey midterm primaries Kean's absence — his last vote was in early March — has supercharged interest in the seat, which Democrats view as key to winning control of the narrowly divided House and Republicans recognize as important to defend. Voters in the district have ousted two incumbents during midterm elections over the past decade. Democratic voters are deciding between Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot whose background mirrors Gov. Mikie Sherrill's, Michael Roth, a former Small Business Administration official, Tina Shah, an intensive care unit doctor, and Brian Varela, a businessman with backing from progressive groups. The campaign has been hotly contested, with each candidate bringing in seven figures in fundraising and walking a line between appealing to the party's base and to more independent general election voters. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Bennett's campaign has come under fire from a political action committee that's spent about $650,000 in the primary, attacking her from the left. Bennett said in an interview she believes the group, whose donors haven't been disclosed, is Republican-backed and aiming to weaken her candidacy because they fear her in the general election. The Democrats are leaning into the rising costs of groceries and gasoline caused by the Iran war and Trump's sweeping tariffs. They're casting blame at Republicans and Kean in particular, who they say is a bad fit for the district, pointing to his support for the president's signature tax cut legislation. Kean's absence has raised eyebrows. Kean posted on X last month that he's dealing with a "personal medical issue" and is expected to return soon, though he provided no details on what the issue is and his staff and political aides have declined to elaborate. READ MORE: New Jersey voters look for answers about Tom Kean Jr.'s prolonged absence from Congress The district was redrawn a