Rep. Tom Kean Jr. suffers fresh blow as GOP yanks campaign spending

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Oct 13, 2026

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Embattled Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. suffered a fresh blow Tuesday as two leading GOP campaign groups reportedly yanked spending on his increasingly long-shot fight to win reelection in the New Jersey's battleground 7th District.

With Kean trailing in polls, the Congressional Leadership Fund and MAGA Inc. are shifting millions in cash to other races they think are more winnable, effectively delivering a grim message that Kean is likely to lose his suburban swing seat to Democratic challenger Rebecca Bennett in one of the nation’s most closely watched races.

A source familiar with the CLF decision confirmed that the group redirected $10 million from Kean’s race and three others to more competitive races.

Carly Jones, campaign manager for Bennett, suggested the reports of GOP abandoning Kean could be overblown and urged Democrats to run hard through the finish line to win the race.

She said the funds that were redirected may represent only a small fraction of overall Republican spending to rescue Kean.

“We’re going to leave no stone unturned over the next 21 days to flip NJ-07,” Jones tweeted.

Vice President JD Vance didn’t deny the reports but told reporters that Republicans haven’t thrown in the towel on any incumbents.

“We’re not giving up anywhere,” Vance said. “We’re just trying to win the races where we can.”

Kean was already given long odds of beating Bennett, who has won plaudits as a strong candidate and potent fundraiser. He got an unwanted spot on a list of Republicans believed to be “almost cooked” as a Democratic blue wave mounts.

Along with Kean, the GOP groups have reportedly pulled the plug on Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, and had already stopped spending to defend the NE-02 district in the Omaha area that is now held by GOP Rep. Don Bacon, who is retiring.

Kean has long been identified as a top target for Democrats as they seek to flip the handful of GOP-held seats they need to win control of the House of Representatives.

His chances of winning a third term suffered a serious blow when he disappeared without explanation for months in the spring. He later returned to public view and said he had been undergoing treatment for depression, but critics say he should have been much more forthcoming in real time.

The son of a former popular governor, Kean trails Bennett, a military veteran and healthcare executive, in the only published poll of the district in western New Jersey.

Pundits from across the political spectrum say NJ-07 is a tough district for Republicans to hold because it is home to legions of voters who have higher degrees and make more than $100,000 a year, groups that have soured on the GOP and Trump.

More voters are telling pollsters that they plan to vote Democratic in the midterms to send a message to Trump to work on bringing down soaring prices and end the unpopular war in Iran.

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