Why It Matters
New Jersey Democrats won both Republican-held congressional districts contested Tuesday, leaving Republicans with one representative in the state’s 12-person congressional delegation. Democrats also kept all nine of their existing House seats.
What Happened
Rebecca Bennett defeated Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in the 7th Congressional District, while Zack Mullock defeated Rep. Jeff Van Drew in the 2nd Congressional District.
Bennett received 57% of the vote to Kean’s 41%. Mullock won 51% to Van Drew’s 48%.
Van Drew had served four terms in the House. He was elected in 2018 as a Democrat and joined the Republican Party a year later. In response to the result, Van Drew said he would not blame Donald Trump, the speaker, or anyone else.
Rep. Chris Smith became New Jersey’s only Republican representative in Congress. Smith first held that distinction in 2019.
In the Senate race, Sen. Cory Booker won a third full term with 63% of the vote, defeating Justin Murphy, who received 35%.
Bennett described the result as a joint demand from voters across party lines. “This is the moment we, as a district, as a state, and as a country, Democrats, independents, and Republicans, stood together and demanded better, demanded change,” she said.
By the Numbers
12-person — size of New Jersey’s congressional delegation
2nd Congressional District — GOP-held seat flipped by Democrats
7th Congressional District — GOP-held seat flipped by Democrats
nine — Democratic congressional seats retained
57% — Rebecca Bennett’s share of the vote
41% — Tom Kean Jr.’s share of the vote
51% — Zack Mullock’s share of the vote
48% — Jeff Van Drew’s share of the vote
63% — Cory Booker’s share of the vote
35% — Justin Murphy’s share of the vote
Zoom Out
Democrats are expected to take control of both the House and Senate after Tuesday’s results. The state’s earlier Democratic wave had produced four GOP-held congressional victories.
State Sen. Jon Bramnick urged Republicans to reject Donald Trump. Booker said Democrats should pursue accountability for the Trump administration, address income inequality and provide a pathway to the American dream.
What’s Next
New Jersey’s congressional delegation will enter the next term with Chris Smith as its lone Republican member. Booker said, “The mission is bigger than him. He is not the main character of our story. The main character of our story is the American people.”