June 17th 2026 Len’s Political Note #819 Rebecca Bennett New Jersey 07
2026 General Election
In Seguin, Texas, Rebecca Bennett’s dad went from union member to management. Ha negotiated with the union.
Rebecca Bennett grew up a Texas Republican. She was a Republican when she went to Cornell on a Navy ROTC scholarship. She was a Republican when she graduated from Cornell in 2009 and began her ROTC commitment to active duty.
By the time she enrolled in the Wharton School to get her MBA, Rebecca Bennett was a Democrat. Donald Trump’s nomination for President in 2016 convinced her to switch parties.
By the time she became a Democrat, Rebecca Bennett had completed her earliest phase of becoming a helicopter pilot for the Navy. In 2015, she was second in command for the unit responsible for the helicopters on the combat ship The Independence. That year, she began training to be a test pilot. Having completed her training, she spent three years as a helicopter test pilot, advanced to Director of Operations and then Pilot-in-Command of all Navy H-60 platforms both for helicopter and aircraft training.
Rebecca Bennett took care of her post-Navy future. She completed an MBA at The Wharton School in 2019. After 13 years as a full-time member of the Navy, with her degree in hand, she went to work for Johnson & Johnson. Two years later, she was directing the marketing of Johnson & Johnson’s first venture in cell therapy. Her success led her to becoming the Vice President for Midi Health’s System Strategy and Operations, then Oshi Health’s Vice President for Partnerships and Network Operations.
At the beginning of 2025, Rebecca Bennett struck out on her own. She began her run for Congress. Her plan was to take on and defeat incumbent Republican Tom Kean Jr.
But why? Her website sounds almost generic. “Rebecca’s guiding principal has always been to make our country a better place, and that’s why she is running for Congress.” “She knows that we’re at a crucial moment in our country’s history, where we are all being called to do more. This campaign is the next chapter of Rebecca’s service to this nation.”
Her military service was certainly service to the nation. Rebecca Bennett stayed in the military longer than her ROTC commitment required. I wondered if her corporate work was service to the nation?
- She did marketing for Johnson & Johnson. You could argue that organizing the sales of J & J’s introduction of cell therapy was both a step forward for the corporation and the country.
- Stepping outside of J & J, she worked for a start-up company that focused on services to middle aged women. Can you consider this as work on behalf of an underserved population? She could make a case for that.
- Her next step was organizing a start-up that focused on people with gastrointestinal issues. Her efforts were not inconsistent with wanting to expand health care to populations that need it. She seemed to be doing that.
Take Rebecca Bennett’s words seriously. Take her seriously. She put in the time. She persuaded the Democrats of New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District that her run was a coherent part of a lifelong commitment of service. We live in a capitalist system. Her first set of constituents were convinced that she had goals other than making money. So was I. I hope you will, too and will help her win the general election.
The incumbent is the son of a well-regarded New Jersey Governor. Tom Kean Jr was a one term state Senator. He had run for the US House of Representatives in 2000 and lost in the primary. He had run for the US Senate in 2006 and lost. In 2020, he ran for the House of Representatives again and lost again. He won election to NJ 07 in 2022 and again in 2024.
In 2026, though, he appears to be scoring an own goal. He is generating headlines no politician wants. The New York Times headline: “It’s been 300 days. Do you know where Rep Tom Kean is?” NJ Insider was briefer: “The GOP’s Kean Conundrum? Politico was briefer still” “Tom Kean to return?” NJ Spotlight News headline read: “the missing Rep Tom Kean Jr finally speaks…… sort of.”
We do not know where Tom Kean Jr is or why he has been missing from public life for so long. He says he is addressing a medical issue. His staff is trying to help. Speeches he did not actually speak in Congress have been added to the Congressional Record.
Tom Kean Jr’s staff have not tried a hologram. The incumbent Congressman is simply not there. He will need a very persuasive story when he surfaces to speak to his constituency. His medical issue and his absence have turned what would have been a close election into something that may be altogether different.
Tom Kean Jr. has a following. But Rebecca Bennett has been awarded a gift. Even though pundits like the Cook Report, have not changed their description of this race as a Toss-up, it is not. I continue to suggest that you DONATE to Rebecca Bennett’s campaign. But at this moment, this is a race where the Democrat, Rebecca Bennett, should be the favorite to win.
Other New Jersey races
New Jersey 02. The Mayor of the City of Cape May Zack Mullock is this year’s challenger to the incumbent and former Democrat Jeff Van Drew. Zack Mullock won his four-candidate primary with a touch under 40% of the vote. He needs money to be competitive. On May 13, he had $100,000 to Van Drew’s $1.4 million. Before the June primary, a Democratic funded poll found Van Drew leading 48-36 against a generic Democrat. Zack Mullock can escape from being a generic Democrat if he has the resources to tell his story. A construction manager before he ran for mayor, one of his last projects was overseeing the construction of the Harriet Tubman Museum. At mayor he continued to be a builder. He supported first responders, parks and libraries. He sees himself a voice for South Jersey. DONATE
New Jersey 09. Nellie Pou’s 5 point win in 2024 has kept Democrats concerned about her for this 2026. This year, Nellie Pou has a healthy financial lead over City Councilwoman Rosemary Pino — $1.5 million to less than $50,000. There are no polls here, but in April the Cook report shifted its projection for the seat from Leans Democratic to the stronger Likely Democratic. If you are still worried about Nellie Pou’s chances, DONATE to her campaign.
US Senate. New Jersey’s Corey Booker is generally seen as one of the safest incumbents. He is unlikely to be challenged seriously by the Republican nominee Attorney Justin Murphy. DONATE if you want to be sure.
