Bennett Defeats Kean, Flipping New Jersey House Seat

Democrat Rebecca Bennett defeated Republican Rep. Tom Kean in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, flipping a seat held by Republicans, according to election-night media calls and early returns. The Associated Press called the race for Bennett at 9:48 p.m. on November 3. Early results cited in the reports showed her with nearly 60% of the vote when 77% of ballots had been counted. Those figures reflect an incomplete count; the reports do not provide certified final totals. A separate early snapshot, reported at 9:45 p.m. Eastern, had Bennett leading 62% to 37%. The percentages were recorded at different stages of the count and should not be read as final results. Bennett said Kean called to congratulate her and commit to a peaceful transfer of power. Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, challenged Kean, who had represented the district since defeating a Democrat in 2022. The 7th District had backed Donald Trump by a narrow margin in 2024, making the contest a closely watched House race. Nationally, Democrats need a net gain of four seats to win control of the House, according to one report. Kean’s campaign followed an extended absence from Congress. He returned after...