WASHINGTON, N.J. â Washington, D.C. is undoubtedly the center of gravity in American politics, but another Washington over 100 miles away could help decide the fate of Congress for the latter half of President Donald Trump’s term.
It’s a small town in New Jersey where Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., urged GOP supporters to help get Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., re-elected to the House in November. Kean is seeking a third term representing the Garden State’s 7th Congressional District, which is notably home to Trump’s Bedminster golf course where he spends a significant amount of time.
“We consider this a top three race, not just a top ten. That’s how important it is to us. It has a target on its back,” Johnson told the room at Hawke Point Golf Club, Fox News Digital heard. “They’re investing tons of money to try to take [Kean] down, but they are not going to be successful.”
The district happens to be one of the most critical battlegrounds in the country this year. Trump narrowly won the area by two points in 2024, though it flipped for Democrat Gov. Mikie Sherrill by the same margin in 2025.
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Democrats are now betting they have a real opportunity to score another victory in November by sending former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett to the House. And with such a small number of House seats still considered politically neutral, it could prove decisive for which party controls the House next year.
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If Republicans win, that means enacting Trump’s agenda for another two years. Johnson told Fox News Digital the GOP has “aggressive” plans to tackle government waste and excessive spending. But if Democrats win the district â and potentially the House â Trump’s goals could grind to a halt.
Kean, for his part, told Fox News Digital that he’s confident he can win again.
“I’ve been a really effective legislator who’s brought things back to the district, who’s listened to my constituents on their needs and their concerns, in contrast to my opponent, who has really been a very abject partisan,” Kean said on the sidelines of his event.Â
“She’s actually stopped going to church because there are Republicans [there]. So when you think about that contrast â a person can’t even go to religious services with people of the other party â she’ll never work across the aisle. She’ll be always in the far-left corner of whoever is in her caucus and whoever is in her leadership. And that’s not what this district needs.”
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Bennett spokesperson Carly Jones hit back at Kean’s accusation, “Rebecca is an active member of her local church and talks openly on the campaign trail about her faith, which inspired her to serve her country in uniform and run for office. She is proudly building a coalition of Democrats, Independents and Republicans to flip this seat in November.”
Kean noted he’s seen legislative success under both the Biden and Trump administrations,
