Election 2026

Independent, source-first accountability

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Issue record

Foreign policy and defense

In short

Thomas Kean Jr.'s congressional site backs resources for service members and deterring adversaries. Rebecca Bennett's campaign would prepare the military for cyber, drone and AI warfare, reform defense buying and counter China. Seamus Patrick O'Toole's ballot slogan is STOP ISRAEL'S GENOCIDE; no other platform was found. On the record, Kean voted for three yearly defense bills, 2024 aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific, and 2026 Russia and Iran sanctions, all now law.

Campaign positions

What each campaign says.

Thomas H. Kean Jr.

His campaign says he wants America strong at home and around the world. His congressional site supports a strong military, resources for service members and missions like Picatinny Arsenal's, and says he is committed to deterring adversaries.

Rebecca Bennett

Would prepare the military for cyber, drone and AI warfare, reform Defense Department acquisition, counter China as the leading strategic threat, keep the armed forces apolitical, and keep the United States a reliable partner.

Seamus Patrick O'Toole

His ballot slogan, which New Jersey prints beside his name, is STOP ISRAEL'S GENOCIDE. No platform beyond the slogan was found: no campaign site, no statement and no FEC registration.

Evidence timeline

What the record shows.

  1. official action

    Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated record claim

    He voted yes on September 16, 2026. It passed 262 to 159, with 58 Democrats and one independent voting yes and seven Republicans voting no. It is now law.

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    Full detail

    In the September 27 debate he said the House had just passed, on a bipartisan basis, a Russia and Iran sanctions bill with 59 Democrats joining all Republicans. On September 16, 2026 the House agreed to the Senate's version of H.R. 5334, which carries the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, by 262 to 159 (Roll Call 308). Kean voted Yea. Republicans voted 203 to 7 and Democrats 58 to 152. It became Public Law 119-111. Limit: The Clerk's tally shows 58 Democrats and one independent voting yes, 59 non-Republicans in all, and seven Republicans voting no, so not all Republicans joined. His own vote, the timing and the bipartisan passage are as he said.

  2. official action

    Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

    He voted for the annual defense bill in 2023, 2024 and 2025, all now law, and for the 2024 Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific aid, which also became law.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    His congressional site says the country must keep a strong military, that he supports giving service members the resources they need, and that he is committed to deterring adversaries. He voted for the defense authorization bill on its final House vote each year: fiscal 2024 on December 14, 2023 (Roll Call 723), fiscal 2025 on December 11, 2024 (Roll Call 500) and fiscal 2026 on December 10, 2025 (Roll Call 320). All three became law, as Public Laws 118-31, 118-159 and 119-60. On April 20, 2024 he voted for the Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific security funding bills (Roll Calls 151, 152 and 146). Their text became law together in H.R. 815, Public Law 118-50. He sponsored two bills to sanction Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear company: H.R. 8046 in 2024 and H.R. 8106 in 2026. Neither has become law. Limit: A defense bill covers far more than troops' pay and equipment, and a vote for it is a vote for the whole bill. Whether the spending deters adversaries is not something a vote record can show.

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Sources21 source records

How we use sources

  1. Tom Kean for Congress, home pagehttps://tomkean.com/

    Kean for Congress Inc · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Campaign-controlled source; the "Paid for by Kean for Congress Inc" line matches the committee's filed website, WWW.TOMKEAN.COM. It carries one paragraph of positions and links X (@keanforcongress), Facebook (KeanForCongress), Instagram (@tomkean) and YouTube. Its Media page carries no content.

    candidate statement

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: campaign position

  2. National Defensehttps://kean.house.gov/issues/national-defense

    Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr. · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    His congressional office's issue page, in his own voice.

    candidate statement

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: campaign position; Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  3. Protecting America's National Securityhttps://rebeccabennettforcongress.com/priorities/protecting-americas-national-security/

    Rebecca Bennett for Congress · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Campaign priority page.

    candidate statement

    For: Rebecca Bennett: campaign position

  4. Official list, candidates for House of Representatives, general election November 3, 2026 (September 4 edition) (document)

    New Jersey Division of Elections · Published Sep 4, 2026 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Official list dated September 4, 2026, which supersedes the July 27 list. It prints three candidates for the Seventh District: Kean, Bennett and O'Toole. Leguía is not on it.

    official election record

    For: Seamus Patrick O'Toole: campaign position

  5. Unofficial list, candidates for U.S. House, general election, email addresses (document)

    New Jersey Division of Elections · Published Jul 27, 2026 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The state's contact list for general-election House candidates. For O'Toole it gives only a Gmail address named for his ballot slogan; it lists no website for any candidate.

    official election record

    For: Seamus Patrick O'Toole: campaign position

  6. New Jersey Globe and Rider University debate, September 27, 2026 (at 39:54)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5HMVQAo8ZY&t=2394s

    New Jersey Globe · Published Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed Sep 28, 2026

    The host's full video of the 7th District debate. Kean says the House just passed, on a bipartisan basis, a Russia and Iran sanctions bill with 59 Democrats joining all Republicans. Described from YouTube's captions of the video, read on September 28, 2026; not quoted, because a second transcript to check the wording against was not yet available.

    candidate statement

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated record claim

  7. Roll Call 308, H.R. 5334, on concurring in the Senate amendmentshttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2026308

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 28, 2026

    Recorded vote of September 16, 2026, agreed 262 to 159: Republicans 203 to 7, Democrats 58 to 152, one independent yes. Kean: Yea.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated record claim

  8. Public Law 119-111 (H.R. 5334), Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ111/html/PLAW-119publ111.htm

    GovInfo · Reviewed Sep 28, 2026

    The enacted text. Division A is the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, carried on H.R. 5334.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated record claim

  9. Roll Call 723, 2023: H.R. 2670, on agreeing to the conference reporthttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023723

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Recorded vote of December 14, 2023 on the fiscal 2024 defense authorization, passed 310 to 118. Kean: Yea.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  10. Roll Call 500, 2024: H.R. 5009, on concurring in the Senate amendment with an amendmenthttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024500

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Recorded vote of December 11, 2024 on the fiscal 2025 defense authorization, passed 281 to 140. Kean: Yea.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  11. Roll Call 320, 2025: S. 1071, on passagehttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025320

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Recorded vote of December 10, 2025 on the fiscal 2026 defense authorization, passed 312 to 112. Kean: Yea.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  12. H.R. 2670, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2670

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Became Public Law 118-31 on December 22, 2023.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  13. H.R. 5009, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5009

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    The vehicle for the fiscal 2025 defense authorization. Became Public Law 118-159 on December 23, 2024.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  14. S. 1071, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1071

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    The vehicle for the fiscal 2026 defense authorization. Became Public Law 119-60 on December 18, 2025.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  15. Roll Call 151, 2024: H.R. 8035, on passagehttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024151

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Recorded vote of April 20, 2024 on the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024, passed 311 to 112. Kean: Yea.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  16. Roll Call 152, 2024: H.R. 8034, on passagehttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024152

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Recorded vote of April 20, 2024 on the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024, passed 366 to 58. Kean: Yea.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  17. Roll Call 146, 2024: H.R. 8036, on passagehttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024146

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Recorded vote of April 20, 2024 on the Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024, passed 385 to 34. Kean: Yea.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  18. H.R. 815, 118th Congress, Public Law 118-50https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/815

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Under H. Res. 1160 the House agreed to the Senate amendment to H.R. 815 with an amendment. It became Public Law 118-50.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  19. Public Law 118-50https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PLAW-118publ50

    GovInfo · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Enacted text read from GovInfo. It carries the Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific security supplemental appropriations acts of 2024 as separate divisions.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  20. H.R. 8046, Rosatom Sanctions Enforcement Act, 118th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8046

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Sponsored by Kean, introduced April 17, 2024. Ordered reported by committee on May 16, 2024; not enacted.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction

  21. H.R. 8106, RESCUE Act, 119th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8106

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Sponsored by Kean, introduced March 26, 2026; sanctions on Rosatom. Referred to the Foreign Affairs and Financial Services committees; not enacted.

    official legislative record

    For: Thomas H. Kean Jr.: Matches stated direction