Rebecca Bennett is a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, experimental test pilot, Air National Guard officer and healthcare professional who is running for Congress in New Jersey. In 2026, she became the Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District after winning the party’s June primary.
Her public profile combines a military career, graduate business education and work in healthcare. Bennett lives in Bridgewater, New Jersey, with her husband and two daughters. This biography explains what is publicly known about her age, education, family, military service, career, political platform and 2026 congressional campaign.
Latest Update: September 28, 2026
As of September 28, 2026, Rebecca Bennett is the Democratic candidate for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District in the 2026 U.S. House election. The Federal Election Commission lists her as a Democratic House candidate for New Jersey’s 7th District.
Bennett won the Democratic primary on June 2, 2026. The Associated Press reported that she defeated three other Democratic candidates to secure the nomination. She is campaigning for the seat currently held by Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr.
Her campaign focuses on issues including affordability, healthcare, national security, veterans, housing, energy, voting rights and environmental policy. These are positions stated by Bennett and her campaign and should be distinguished from independently established facts about her background.
Who Is Rebecca Bennett?
Rebecca Bennett is a New Jersey congressional candidate and former military officer. She served for more than 15 years in the armed forces, including as a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, experimental test pilot and aircraft commander, as well as an officer in the Air National Guard.
Before entering electoral politics, Bennett worked in healthcare. Her campaign biography says she worked with both early-stage healthcare companies and Fortune 50 companies, with professional interests including digital health and healthcare services.
Her campaign for Congress began after her move to New Jersey and a career that combined military service with private-sector healthcare work. In 2026, she won the Democratic nomination in the 7th Congressional District.
Family and Early Life
Public reporting says Bennett was born in New York and grew up in Texas. She has described growing up in a small town and developing an interest in military service at a young age.
Bennett is married to Alex Hydrean, a former Navy officer. The couple lives in Bridgewater, New Jersey, with their two daughters. A 2026 candidate profile also identified the family’s dog as Sourdough.
Hydrean has his own military background. A Center for Strategic and International Studies profile identifies him as a former active-duty U.S. Navy submarine officer who later moved to the Navy Reserve and worked at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The profile also identified Rebecca as his wife.
Education
Bennett attended Cornell University, where she studied chemical engineering on an ROTC scholarship. Her undergraduate education provided the engineering background that later became relevant to her military aviation career.
While serving as an experimental test pilot, Bennett used the GI Bill to pursue an MBA through the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Wharton identifies her as a member of its 2019 MBA class and lists Cornell University and a B.S. in chemical engineering among her prior education.
Age
Rebecca Bennett was listed as 39 years old in a May 2026 candidate profile published by Patch. WHYY also identified her as 39 in its September 2026 New Jersey congressional voter guide.
A complete birth date has not been established in the reliable public sources reviewed for this profile. For that reason, a specific day and month of birth should not be presented as confirmed.
Military Career
Bennett’s military career is one of the central parts of her public biography. After attending Cornell on an ROTC scholarship, she commissioned into the U.S. Navy and went through flight training. Her campaign biography says she graduated at the top of her flight-school class and later flew the MH-60 Seahawk helicopter.
Her work eventually included experimental test flying. Wharton’s profile says Bennett was selected for the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School after serving as a helicopter pilot and completing deployments around the world. Her campaign biography says she was the only MH-60S helicopter pilot in her class selected for the test-pilot program.
Bennett also served as an aircraft commander and later as an officer in the Air National Guard. Public profiles describe her overall military service as lasting more than 15 years.
Career After the Navy
After leaving active-duty military service, Bennett moved to New Jersey with her husband and began working in healthcare. Her public biography describes experience with healthcare startups and larger companies, including work connected to digital health and other areas of healthcare.
Bennett has explained that her decision to work in healthcare was connected to her interest in expanding access to medical care, improving patient outcomes and reducing costs. Those themes later became part of her congressional campaign platform.
Political Career
Bennett had not previously held elected office before her 2026 congressional campaign. In 2026, she entered the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District and competed against three other Democratic candidates.
On June 2, 2026, Bennett won the Democratic nomination. The Associated Press reported that her primary victory set up a November general-election contest with Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr.
The Federal Election Commission’s candidate database lists Bennett as a Democratic candidate for House District 7. FEC records covering January 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, show $4.27 million in total receipts for her authorized campaign committees during that reporting period. Those figures are campaign-finance totals and are not the same thing as Bennett’s personal income or net worth.
Political Platform and Policy Positions
Bennett’s campaign identifies affordability as one of its major priorities. Her campaign says she supports increasing housing construction, restoring the full state and local tax, or SALT, deduction, investing in domestic energy and supporting paid family leave and elder care.
Healthcare is another major part of her platform. Her campaign says she wants to expand access to healthcare and reduce costs, drawing on her professional experience in the healthcare sector.
On national security, Bennett points to her Navy experience and says Congress should address emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and drones. Her campaign also identifies support for veterans and military families as a priority.
Her campaign’s stated positions also include protecting voting rights, advancing LGBTQ+ protections through the Equality Act, pursuing immigration and trade reforms, and changing campaign-finance rules. These are campaign positions rather than enacted policies.
Religion
Bennett’s religious background has received some public discussion during the 2026 campaign. A June 2026 report by Save Jersey quoted a recording in which Bennett described growing up in the Presbyterian Church. The report concerned her comments about attending church during her military years and should be treated as a report of her own remarks rather than an independent determination of her current religious practice.
No reliable source reviewed for this profile establishes a more detailed description of her current religious affiliation.
Husband and Children
Rebecca Bennett is married to Alex Hydrean. Public campaign and media profiles identify the couple as parents of two daughters and residents of Bridgewater, New Jersey.
Bennett frequently discusses her role as a mother when explaining her campaign focus on issues such as housing, healthcare, family costs and education. These comments are part of her campaign’s public messaging.
Rebecca Bennett Net Worth
There is no reliable public source reviewed here that establishes Rebecca Bennett’s personal net worth. Campaign fundraising figures should not be described as her personal wealth.
The FEC reported that Bennett’s authorized campaign committees had received approximately $4.27 million and spent approximately $2.83 million between January 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. The committee had approximately $1.45 million in cash on hand at the end of that reporting period.
Those numbers describe the finances of her congressional campaign, not the value of her personal assets. Any website giving an exact personal net-worth figure without supporting financial documentation should therefore be treated cautiously.
Height
Rebecca Bennett’s exact height has not been reliably established in the sources reviewed for this biography. A specific height should not be presented as fact without a verifiable source.
Hometown and Current Residence
Bennett was born in New York and grew up in Texas. She later moved to New Jersey with her husband after leaving active-duty military service. She currently lives in Bridgewater, New Jersey, according to 2026 reporting.
Official Social Media and Campaign Website
Bennett’s official campaign website is Rebecca Bennett for Congress. Her campaign website contains her biography, policy positions and campaign information.
Quick Facts About Rebecca Bennett
| Full name | Rebecca Bennett |
|---|---|
| Age | 39 in 2026, according to contemporary New Jersey election profiles |
| Birthplace | New York, according to WHYY |
| Raised | Texas |
| Current residence | Bridgewater, New Jersey |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| 2026 office sought | U.S. House, New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District |
| 2026 primary | Won the Democratic nomination on June 2, 2026 |
| Military service | Former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, experimental test pilot and aircraft commander; Air National Guard officer |
| Education | Cornell University; Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania |
| Undergraduate degree | B.S. in Chemical Engineering |
| Graduate degree | MBA |
| Spouse | Alex Hydrean |
| Children | Two daughters |
| Previous elected office | None reported |
Reader Questions
Who is Rebecca Bennett?
Rebecca Bennett is a former U.S. Navy helicopter and experimental test pilot who later worked in healthcare. In 2026, she became the Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.
How old is Rebecca Bennett?
Rebecca Bennett was reported as 39 years old in 2026. Contemporary profiles from Patch and WHYY both gave her age as 39.
Where does Rebecca Bennett live?
Bennett lives in Bridgewater, New Jersey, with her husband and two daughters. She moved to New Jersey with her husband after leaving active-duty military service.
Is Rebecca Bennett married?
Yes. Rebecca Bennett is married to Alex Hydrean, a former Navy officer. The couple has two daughters.
What did Rebecca Bennett do in the Navy?
Bennett served as a helicopter pilot, experimental test pilot and aircraft commander. She flew the MH-60 Seahawk and attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.
Where did Rebecca Bennett go to college?
She attended Cornell University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. She later earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Is Rebecca Bennett a Democrat?
Yes. The Federal Election Commission lists Bennett as a Democratic candidate for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District in the 2026 election. She won the Democratic primary on June 2, 2026.
What district is Rebecca Bennett running in?
Bennett is running for the U.S. House in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. The district includes communities in parts of northern and central New Jersey.
What are Rebecca Bennett’s main campaign issues?
Her campaign highlights affordability, healthcare, national security, veterans and military families, environmental policy and voting rights. Her campaign also proposes policies involving housing, the SALT deduction, energy costs, paid family leave and elder care.
What is Rebecca Bennett’s net worth?
Her personal net worth has not been reliably established in the public sources reviewed. Federal campaign-finance figures show the amount raised and spent by her campaign committee, but those figures should not be confused with personal wealth.
Does Rebecca Bennett have children?
Yes. Public profiles identify Bennett and her husband as the parents of two daughters. The family lives in Bridgewater, New Jersey.
Wrap-Up
Rebecca Bennett’s public biography is built around three major parts of her career: military service, healthcare work and electoral politics. She served more than 15 years in the armed forces, including as a Navy helicopter and experimental test pilot, before moving into healthcare and eventually launching a congressional campaign.
In 2026, Bennett won the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. Her campaign has made affordability, healthcare, national security, veterans, housing and other policy areas central to its platform. Her general-election campaign makes her a current figure in New Jersey politics, while her military and healthcare careers form much of the background behind her public profile.
Some commonly requested personal details, including an exact birth date, personal net worth and height, are not sufficiently documented in the reliable sources reviewed. Keeping those details marked as unconfirmed avoids turning estimates or unsourced online claims into biographical facts.
Disclaimer
This biography is based on publicly available sources reviewed as of September 28, 2026. Political positions described in the article are attributed to Rebecca Bennett or her campaign where appropriate. Information such as personal net worth, height and exact birth date has not been stated as fact where reliable verification was unavailable.
