State Sen. Joseph Cryan (D-Union) will headline a fundraiser for Democratic congressional candidate Rebecca Bennett on December 9, a move that potentially signals significant support in the Union County portion of New Jersey’s 7th district.
Maggie Moran and Megan Cryan Bell of Moxie Strategies and Laura Matos of MAD Global Strategies are also hosting the fundraiser.
Bennett, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, is one of twelve Democrats seeking the chance to take on two-term Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) next year. She joined the race in February and raised over $1.3 million during the first three quarters of 2025.
Union County accounts for 29% of the Democratic primary vote in the 7th district — the largest share among the five counties.
Cryan is a former Democratic State Chairman and served as Assembly Majority Leader and Union County Sheriff before his election to the State Senate in 2017.
NJ-7 is considered one of the most competitive House races in the nation. Democrat Mikie Sherrill carried the 7th by two percentage points over Republican Jack Ciattarelli in the New Jersey governor’s race earlier this month. Ciattarelli had carried the district by twelve points in 2021, and Donald Trump won it by almost six points last year.
Kean, a former minority leader of the New Jersey State Senate and the son of a popular former governor, ousted two-term Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) on his second try in 2022. Malinowski is now a candidate to replace Sherrill in the 11th district.
