Brian Varela has dipped into his own pocketbook once again as he runs for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district – and he now likely has more money in his campaign account than any other Democrat in the race.
Varela announced today that he raised $750,000 in the 4th quarter of 2025, $550,000 of which was self-funded. His campaign said it ended 2025 with more than $1.4 million on-hand, which, barring something unexpected from one of his opponents, means he heads into 2026 with a hefty financial edge.
“I’m proud of our success, and honored to have the support of thousands of New Jerseyans,” Varela said in a statement. “The fact that our median contribution is just $10 shows what makes this campaign special; we’re building something big, one neighbor and one donation at a time. We have the local support, organizing capacity, and the resources to compete everywhere in this district from now through Election Day.”
Varela has raised a total of $1.75 million since launching his campaign last April; $1.15 million of that, or around 66%, was self-funded, with the rest given by donors.
Two of Varela’s Democratic primary opponents have also reported huge fundraising hauls: former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett raised $550,000 in the 4th quarter and has raised $1.9 million overall, while physician Tina Shah raised $413,000 in the 4th quarter and just over $1 million overall.
The trio of Bennett, Shah, and Varela have been the field’s fundraising leaders for some time, and that seems likely to remain the case. None of the other Democrats running for the district – Somerset County Commissioner Sara Sooy (D-Bedminster), former Small Business Administration official Michael Roth, climate scientist Megan O’Rourke, criminal justice professor Beth Adubato, and attorney Vale Mendoza – have announced their most recent fundraising totals yet.
No matter how much those other Democrats raise, though, the 7th district race is already turning into a historically expensive contest; any single non-incumbent candidate raising more than a million dollars in an off-year would have been remarkable in past cycles, and this year three have done so. That also raises the possibility of an unusually competitive and intense Democratic primary, especially since county parties may have less of an ability to winnow the field thanks to the abolition of the county line.
Whoever does win the primary will go on to face Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), who had close to $2 million in his campaign account as of the end of September.
