Pete Buttigieg, a likely 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, drew about 1,000 people to Raritan Valley Community College on Friday night to rally for Rebecca Bennett, giving the Democratic congressional nominee a high-profile boost in her bid to unseat Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) in one of the nation’s most competitive House districts.
The former U.S. transportation secretary was the marquee attraction at a rally aimed at energizing Democrats in New Jersey’s 7th district, a potentially pivotal battleground in the party’s effort to reclaim control of the House of Representatives.
But Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland), who joined Buttigieg on stage, brought a different political asset: credibility with progressive Democrats who might be uncomfortable with Bennett’s moderate positioning in a swing district and could be tempted by an independent phantom candidate running under the ballot slogan “Stop Israel’s Genocide.”
Raskin, a favorite of the Democratic left, sought to give Bennett a progressive imprimatur, effectively telling left-wing voters that the former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot was an acceptable choice despite her efforts to appeal to the political center.
“We have the power to change the direction of this country,” Bennett told the crowd.
Buttigieg, who served in President Joe Biden’s cabinet, invoked his work securing federal infrastructure investments in New Jersey, including funding for local road improvements and the Gateway Tunnel project.
“Great to be back in a state where we did some of our best work,” Buttigieg said. “We got Westfield funding to make the streets safer.”
Buttigieg’s pitch didn’t mention congestion pricing, the controversial Manhattan tolling program that put him at odds with New Jersey officials when he sided with New York in the dispute over charging motorists to enter parts of Manhattan.
Instead, Buttigieg focused on federal investments and accused Kean of putting loyalty to Trump ahead of his constituents.
“Tom Kean was supposed to be your voice in Washington,” Buttigieg said. “We all know who he speaks for, and that is President Donald Trump.”
Raskin predicted that Bennett would quickly become a formidable critic of Trump if elected to Congress.
“From the moment she gets to Washington, she is going to drive Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans crazy,” Raskin said. “There’s nobody in a better position to do it.”
Both Buttigieg and Raskin attacked Kean for supporting Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, tariffs, and the war with Iran, including his opposition to requiring congressional authorization for the conflict.
Bennett has made her military background and opposition to the Iran war central to her campaign, portraying Kean as unwilling to challenge the president even when New Jersey’s interests are at stake.
She did not take questions from reporters at the event, despite having sharply criticized Kean for avoiding the news media and refusing to answer questions about his congressional record.
The rally comes as national Democrats intensify efforts to capture Kean’s seat, one of the party’s top targets in its bid to regain control of the House.
The potential spoiler is Seamus Patrick O’Toole, an independent whose anti-Israel ballot slogan could attract protest votes from Democrats dissatisfied with their party’s position on the war in Gaza.
O’Toole is not considered a serious contender to win the seat, but even a relatively small number of defections could matter in a district Donald Trump carried by just one percentage point in 2024, and Gov. Mikie Sherrill won by two points in 2025.
Bennett raised $4 million in the third quarter, bringing her election-cycle total to more than $8 million and providing substantial resources for her challenge to the two-term Republican incumbent.
The Cook Political Report shifted its rating toward Bennett in September, reflecting the district’s increasingly competitive political landscape.