The New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association, New Jersey’s largest firefighters’ union and a prominent player in state politics, has voted to endorse Rebecca Bennett in the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district.
Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, is one of six Democrats competing to unseat Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield); for now, the NJFMBA’s endorsement applies specifically to the district’s Democratic primary, and not yet to the general election against Kean, a former volunteer firefighter.
“The New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association is proud to endorse Rebecca Bennett for Congress in the crowded primary for Congress in NJ-07 because she has consistently shown she will show up for our firefighters, first responders, and their families,” NJFMBA President Eddie Donnelly said in a statement. “Rebecca listens, she understands the challenges our members face on the job, and we trust her to fight for the protections, benefits, and resources firefighters depend on.”
In recent 7th district general elections, the NJFMBA – which represents more than 6,500 firefighters, EMTs, and dispatchers – has proven to be something of a swing vote. The union endorsed Democrat Tom Malinowski in 2018, switched to Kean in 2020, then flipped back to supporting Malinowski in 2022; in 2024, Kean’s first race as an incumbent, the NJFMBA endorsed him over Democratic challenger Sue Altman.
If Bennett wins the June Democratic primary and retains the NJFMBA’s support in November, it would be another point in Democrats’ favor as they work to flip the highly competitive district.
The NJFMBA is the first union to endorse Bennett’s campaign, and one of the first unions to weigh in on the 7th district race at all. One of Bennett’s rivals, climate scientist (and former union steward) Megan O’Rourke, has endorsements from the New Jersey State Council of Machinists and two local branches of the American Federation of Government Employees.
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