(The Center Square) - Candidates in New Jersey’s seventh congressional district, one of the most hotly contested House races in the nation, debated over gas prices, tariffs, healthcare and artificial intelligence policy on Sunday.
Incumbent Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., and Rebecca Bennett faced off in a debate hosted by the New Jersey Globe and Rider University on Sunday night. The two offered diverging perspectives on a wide range of policy issues and traded personal attacks throughout the sole debate of the campaign.
Bennett blamed rising gas prices on the U.S. military conflict in Iran and slammed Kean’s decision against reigning in President Donald Trump’s authority in the Middle East. She said the Trump administration pursued military conflict against Iran without a clear objective.
“We need to end the war in Iran to make sure that we are bringing these costs down,” Bennett said. “Anytime we are going to put American service members in harm’s way, there needs to be a clear motivation, clear objective and a clear exit strategy.”
Kean blamed rising gas prices on an increased lack of energy independence during former President Joe Biden’s administration. He called for reducing energy regulations that prevent gathering domestic fuel sources.
“We need to look at stopping diesel exports,” Kean said. “We need to have a plan that actually makes us a net energy exporter once again. That plan includes an all of the above energy strategy which includes nuclear, natural gas and a focus on innovation.”
Kean said he supported the United States' efforts to use oil and natural gas resources from Venezuela in order to support the domestic energy supply.
Bennett called for Congress to roll back Trump’s tariffs. She blamed the economic policy for rising costs across the country and slammed Kean for voting in favor of continued tariffs.
Kean pointed to the recently passed Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which allowed the president to substantially raise tariffs against the two adversarial nations. He said previous trade policies between the United States and other foreign countries were not advantageous.
“What we are doing is repositioning our negotiating leverage,” Kean said. “So the president is justifiably using that to reduce cost for consumers. That's a necessary part of the executive branch.”
Bennett snapped back at Kean and asserted that Congress should be responsible for levying tariffs if necessary. She also called for introducing a public healthcare option, reducing cuts to Medicaid from the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and extending the work on drug price negotiation through the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation passed under Biden in 2022.
“Everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care,” Bennett said. “Tom Kean Jr. was the deciding vote on the one big beautiful bill, which is why tens of thousands of people in our district are losing access to their health insurance. It's why all the rest of us are seeing our premiums go up.”
Kean said his vote for the “One Big Beautiful Bill” was to deter fraud in healthcare programs by preventing illegal immigrants from obtaining benefits and instituting work requirements. He touted his efforts to protect healthcare systems in New Jersey throughout his tenure in Congress.
“In 2005, the New Jersey Hospital Association recognized me as a champion for protecting the New Jersey healthcare system to make sure it would be safe and affordable and actually work for everybody in New Jersey,” Kean said.
Moderators of the debate asked both Kean and Bennett about their net worth. Bennett repeatedly denied answering questions about her net worth but Kean said he is worth around $10 million.
“My net worth is very similar to what we see of a lot of families around here,” Bennett said. “Both my husband and I work so we are very fortunate that we've been able to build the life we want because of the opportunities that are afforded to me in this country.”
Bennett’s 2025 financial disclosures indicate she may have a net worth of as much as $1.8 million. Kean’s financial disclosures reveal he has a net worth of at least $7.9 million but does not state a specific amount.
Kean and Bennett also diverged on their approach to artificial intelligence policies. Bennett called for a federal framework to regulate artificial intelligence and data center development by working with local communities.
“We need to make sure we have people in office that understand the technology and are able to regulate it,” Bennett said. “It's about working with those communities in addition to having that national regulatory framework.”
Kean called for Congress to keep human involvement in AI production. He also called for rapid innovation in AI development in order to keep up in the technology race against China.
“I think what we need to focus on first and foremost is understanding that if China wins this race, then we will not have any human input,” Kean said. “They will be able to do an AI loop that will be able to outperform the United States, so we have to outcompete China.”
Kean and Bennett will not debate again before the general election on Nov. 3. Early in person voting is from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. Polls are open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.
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