Tina Shah raises nearly $1M, mostly self funded, in Democratic primary for New Jersey House seat

Democrat and ICU physician Dr. Tina Shah raised close to $1 million in her bid to take on Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) in November, which included $650,000 that she personally loaned to her campaign, according to figured first shared with The Hill.  

“We know that we have the best message to reach voters across NJ-7 and stop Donald Trump’s assault on our Democracy and our economy,” Shah said in a statement, touting that she is starting the second quarter with close $1.4 million in the bank.

“Our country–and our healthcare system–are in crisis, and I am the only candidate in this primary with the policy experience to address these challenges and deliver for the people of our district,” she added.

Shah, a former senior adviser to the U.S. Surgeon General who’s served in the Obama and Biden administrations, is one of four Democrats looking to challenge Kean in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.  

Former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett; Michael Roth, who served in the Small Business Administration during the Biden administration, and businessman Brian Varela are also running in the June 2 Democratic primary. 

Kean is seen as one of the most vulnerable Republican members up for reelection. President Trump narrowly won Kean’s district by just over a point in 2024, according to The Downballot.  

Shah and Varela have both been able to inject personal money into their congressional bids. Campaign finance filings filed in late January for Varela show he had given $1.15 million to his campaign since his launch. 

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Her campaign also touted internal polling suggesting that some voters were more likely to back Shah when they were informed of her ICU background.

Bennett’s campaign said it had raised over $700,000 in the first quarter of 2026, with over $1.4 million cash on hand. Her campaign said she has not self-financed nor received corporate PAC money. 

The latest fundraising numbers for Roth and Varela have not yet been released. Candidates have until Wednesday to report their fundraising hauls for January, February and March of this year.  

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