Democratic congressional candidate Rebecca Bennett is backing a $25-per-hour federal minimum wage despite an analysis projecting that the proposal could cost nearly 59,000 New Jersey jobs and more than 5 million nationwide over five years.

Bennett, the Democratic nominee challenging Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, has said she supports raising the federal minimum wage to as much as $25 per hour. A voter guide documenting the candidates’ positions quotes Bennett saying, “I believe we should work towards up to a $25 minimum wage.”

The proposal is contained in the Living Wage for All Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage from its current $7.25 level to $25 through a phased increase while also eliminating the federal tip credit. The legislation was introduced in the House by Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois and has a Senate version led by Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut.

The Employment Policies Institute estimates that the proposal would result in 5.01 million fewer jobs nationwide over five years. Its analysis projects that workers under 25 would account for 2.65 million of those losses, including approximately 1.85 million jobs held by teenagers. The analysis also projects 1.74 million lost jobs in the restaurant industry and 1.22 million among tipped workers.

New Jersey would not be spared under the projection. The analysis estimates approximately 58,925 jobs could disappear in the state if the $25 federal wage mandate becomes law. That figure represents a significant portion of the jobs the policy is intended to help, particularly in industries that rely heavily on entry-level and hourly workers.

Bennett’s support puts her at odds with the argument that a federal wage mandate could create new financial pressure for employers and workers. Rather than simply raising wages for existing workers, the EPI analysis projects that employers would respond to the higher labor costs through job reductions and other changes. Those projections are disputed by supporters of higher minimum wages, who argue that workers need substantially higher pay to keep pace with living costs.

New Jersey already has one of the nation’s higher state minimum wages. The state minimum wage is $15.92 per hour for most workers in 2026, meaning Bennett’s preferred federal standard would be roughly $9 higher than the current New Jersey rate.

The proposal also fits into Bennett’s broader economic platform, which emphasizes higher wages and expanded worker protections. She has presented herself as an advocate for New Jersey families while criticizing Republicans over the cost of living.

That creates a clear economic contrast in the 7th District race: Bennett is calling for a federal wage floor nearly $10 above New Jersey’s current standard, while an EPI analysis warns that the policy could eliminate nearly 60,000 jobs in the very state she hopes to represent.

Bennett has also made opposition to President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans a central part of her campaign. Her campaign has repeatedly attacked Kean over his support for Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, while Bennett has characterized herself as a candidate willing to put country over party.

The minimum-wage proposal gives voters another measure of the economic agenda Bennett would bring to Congress. If enacted, the $25 mandate would affect employers and workers nationwide, while the EPI analysis projects that New Jersey alone could see nearly 59,000 fewer jobs.