





Democratic candidate for U.S. House in New Jersey

Democratic candidate for U.S. House in New Jersey
NJ-07 Democratic nominee?
Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Current prediction-market probability for the candidate, updated as market prices change.
0.1%chance to win
Key details about the candidate’s background, party, office sought and current campaign.
Current roleClimate scientist
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
GenderFemale
LocationNew Jersey
BackgroundClimate scientist
EducationStony Brook University (degree)
Notable personal detailsMegan O’Rourke is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. She has worked in federal government roles focused on climate and agriculture, including at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). She has been described as a former USDA climate scientist and former USDA/USAID official. She has earned degrees from Stony Brook University, Iowa State University, and Cornell University.
The candidate emphasizes lowering costs for New Jersey families and protecting working-class supports but has not presented a detailed, comprehensive tax platform; publicly stated support for maintaining the state-and-local tax (SALT) deduction. Overall public materials show advocacy for workers and affordability but do not provide a clear pattern of specific tax-rate or revenue proposals.
The candidate emphasizes lowering health care costs for families, protecting Medicaid and other safety-net programs, and opposing efforts to reduce affordable coverage. Her campaign materials state she relied on Medicaid growing up and that she will fight to preserve affordable health care access for New Jersey families.
Supports combating climate change through sustainable agriculture and federal climate science work and prioritizes investments to protect families and food security from climate impacts. Positions indicate acceptance of federal climate policy and science-based solutions rather than opposition to regulation or promotion of fossil-fuel expansion.
Megan O'Rourke is in the news because the race in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District is drawing attention ahead of the 2026 election. Recent coverage focuses on Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr.'s prolonged medical absence, missed House votes, and the way that has made the seat look more competitive for Democrats. Kean has said he plans to run again and expects to return to work soon, but the district remains a key battleground.
Recent polling results and the candidate's current average in the race.





Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
Campaign finance totals from the latest available reporting period.
2026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.