Rebecca Bennett Triumphs over Tom Kean Jr: Republicans’ Disastrous Energy Policy Cost Them Election

NEW JERSEY— Tonight Democrat Rebecca Bennett defeated Republican Tom Kean Jr. in a historic victory for the people of New Jersey. By electing Bennett to the House, New Jerseyans made their disapproval of Republicans’ energy policy known: from the war in Iran driving up gas and diesel prices to clean energy cuts and data centers with no guardrails that drove up utility bills. A recent Stockton University poll found two in three New Jersey voters have more confidence in Democrats than Republicans across major issues, especially on the cost of living (55% to 29%).

Time and time again, Republicans like Kean Jr. blocked the path to cheaper, faster, cleaner energy, and now New Jersey families and businesses are paying for it three times over — at the pump, on their utility bills, and through the data centers polluting their communities. Bennett will tackle corporate greed and pollution, put guardrails on utility bill-raising, polluting data centers, and lower utility costs by investing in affordable clean energy.

Bennett said it best during the September debate: “I’m happy to stand up here and talk about energy policy all night because I think there are a lot of things we can do whether it is, you know, number one undoing the cuts that were done when the One Big Beautiful Bill which my opponent, Congressman Tom Kean Jr., was the deciding vote on. They cut 20 gigawatts of energy that would have powered three million homes. It’s why we are seeing our energy costs go up by over $160 per household per year. And we are also losing 475,000 clean energy jobs because of those cuts.”

“The people of New Jersey deserve leaders who are looking out for us and ensuring that we can afford to fill our gas tank and keep our lights on, and that’s why they elected Rebecca Bennett,” said Climate Power’s Eastern Hub Director Michelle Hernandez. “Tom Kean Jr. and his fellow Republicans rubber-stamped Trump’s agenda at every turn, and now they’re paying the price. New Jerseyans need relief from skyrocketing costs, and Rebecca Bennett will work to bring down costs for New Jerseyans—not enrich oil and gas billionaires.” 

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