The MCDC CD7 Primary Election Candidate Screening Committee has completed its evaluation of candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. The Committee assessed candidates on vision, readiness to serve in Congress, policy knowledge, campaign strategy, and fundraising, with additional consideration given to Morris-County-specific knowledge, perceived campaign scalability, and commitment to supporting down-ballot Democrats.
Our ranking is based on our review of a candidate’s questionnaire answers, their performance during their screening interview, and our analysis and application of this information against our assessment rubric.
This announcement is not an endorsement. The official endorsement will be determined by CD7 voting members at the Morris County Democratic Committee Nominating Convention on March 22, 2026, at 10:00AM at the County College of Morris.
| Candidate | Rank | Assessment |
| Rebecca Bennett | 1 | Strongest overall performance, exhibiting excellence across readiness, policy, campaign infrastructure, and fundraising. |
| Tina Shah | 2 | Excellent performance across readiness, policy, campaign infrastructure, and fundraising. |
| Michael Roth | 3 | Very good performance across readiness, policy, campaign infrastructure, and fundraising. |
| Megan O’Rourke | 4 | Very good performance across readiness, policy, campaign infrastructure, and fundraising. |
| Brian Varela | 5 | Good performance across readiness, policy, campaign infrastructure, and fundraising. |
| Beth Adubato | 6 | Satisfactory performance across readiness, policy, campaign infrastructure, and fundraising. |
We encourage MCDC members and Morris County voters to visit our website to watch the interviews and read the questionnaires that informed our determinations. We are grateful to the candidates for engaging in this process; the Committee sincerely appreciated meeting each person, and everyone contributed thoughtful and worthwhile perspectives.
MCDC Screening Committee: CD7 Primary Election 2026
MCDC appreciates the time and attention given to this process by the members of the Screening Committee:
- Roxbury Municipal Chair Brian Considine
- Mount Olive Municipal Chair Andy Meissner
- Mendham Township Councilwoman Amalia Duarte
- Mine Hill Council President Gary Colucci
- MCDC Chair Emeritus William Kersey
- MCDC Chair Darcy Draeger
- MCDC Vice Chair Mike Delamater
