Thomas Kean Jr.

Early life and education

Kean was born in Livingston, New Jersey, on September 5, 1968. His parents are Deborah (née Bye) and Thomas Kean. His father served as governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. His grandfather Robert Kean was a former congressman from New Jersey. Through his father, he is also a descendant of William Livingston, the state's first governor.

Kean grew up on the family's estate in Livingston. He has two siblings. He graduated from the Pingry School.

Kean is also a graduate of Dartmouth College, where he was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity, and holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Kean was an aide to former Congressman Bob Franks and a special assistant at the United States Environmental Protection Agency in the George H. W. Bush administration.

New Jersey Assembly

Kean was appointed to the General Assembly, the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature, in April 2001, to serve out the unexpired term of Alan Augustine, who had resigned on March 21, 2001, for health reasons. He was elected to a full term in the Assembly in November 2001. In the Assembly, he chaired the Republican Policy Committee and served as vice chair of the State Government Committee.

New Jersey Senate

Tenure

In March 2003, Kean was appointed to the New Jersey Senate to serve out the unexpired term of Rich Bagger, and won election to that Senate seat in November 2003. In 2004, he was elected Senate Minority Whip, a position he held until 2007. He served in the Senate on the Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.

Kean was one of six Republicans in the state senate to vote for a 2019 appropriations bill that passed 31 to 6.

Committees

• Commerce
• Higher Education
• Legislative Oversight
• Legislative Services Commission

2006 U.S. Senate campaign

Main article: 2006 United States Senate election in New Jersey

Kean was the Republican nominee for the United States Senate seat vacated by former U.S. senator and former governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine, a seat that was filled by Corzine's designated replacement, Bob Menendez. Kean won the June 6, 2006, primary against John P. Ginty by a 3–1 margin. He lost the general election to Menendez, 53.3% to 44.3%. The race was the narrowest victory for an incumbent Democrat in the U.S. in an election that saw Democrats retake control of the Senate as part of a nationwide backlash against the Bush administration. He was endorsed by The Courier-Post, The Press of Atlantic City, and Asbury Park Press.

U.S House of Representatives

Elections

2000

Main article: 2000 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 7

Kean sought the Republican nomination for New Jersey's 7th congressional district, but lost the primary to Mike Ferguson by about 4,000 votes, finishing second in a field of four candidates.

2020

Main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 7

On April 16, 2019, Kean announced that he was running for New Jersey's 7th congressional district in 2020, challenging first-term Democratic incumbent Tom Malinowski. In the first quarter of 2019, Kean nearly matched Malinowski's fundraising total of over $500,000. In August 2019, Kean was endorsed by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Kean won the Republican primary over token opposition, and narrowly lost to Malinowski in the general election. It was the closest House race in New Jersey and one of the closest in the country; due to the close margin and slow counting of mail-in and provisional ballots, the outcome remained in doubt until nearly two weeks after the election.

2022

Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 7

Kean announced in February 2021 that he would not seek reelection to the State Senate and immediately became the subject of speculation that he was preparing to run for New Jersey's 7th congressional district again. Malinowski was under scrutiny after his failure to disclose more than 100 stock trades became a national news story and led to a complaint filed with the House Ethics Committee. In redistricting, the 7th district was made more Republican while the neighboring 11th and 5th districts became more solidly Democratic. Kean formally announced his campaign on July 14, 2021, joined by U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. He won the Republican primary in June 2022 and the general election with 51.4% (159,392 votes) to Malinowski's 48.6% (150,701 votes).

2024

Main article: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 7

Kean won reelection in 2024 against Democratic nominee Sue Altman, a former leader of the New Jersey's Working Families Party.

Tenure

Kean is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, and joined the Problem Solvers Caucus. Kean said he joined the caucus to assure constituents that he remains committed to "working across the aisle".

Critics have called Kean out for not holding in-person town halls, especially Sue Altman, his opponent in the 2024 election. Others counter that Kean's lesser media presence is a strength. Fred Snowflack of Insider New Jersey reported "Dating back to last fall's campaign, most of those griping about Kean's incommunicado ways were the media and voters who probably were not going to support him anyway."

During his 2022 election campaign, Kean, who self-describes as pro-choice, promised voters that he would support abortion rights. After the Dobbs decision, he said "this decision is now best to happen on the state level." During his tenure, he voted against the Women's Health Protection Act which would have codified the abortion rights that the Supreme Court overturned. He voted for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would penalize healthcare practitioners who fail to provide care for an infant that is born-alive from an abortion attempt. Kean has expressed support for IVF and introduced legislation to provide income tax credits to people undergoing fertility treatments.

In October 5 2023, Kean signed a letter to the House Agriculture Committee along with 15 House Republicans opposing the inclusion of the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act in the 2023 farm bill. The EATS Act, introduced in response to the California farm animal welfare law Proposition 12, would have overturned state and local animal welfare laws restricting the sale of agricultural goods from animals raised in battery cages, gestation crates, and veal crates. The letter argued that the legislation would undermine states' rights and cede control over U.S. agricultural policy to the Chinese-owned pork producer WH Group and its subsidiary Smithfield Foods.

In 2024, Kean, one of 17 House Republicans representing a district that voted for Joe Biden, endorsed Donald Trump.

Committee assignments

For the 119th Congress:

• Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa
  • Subcommittee on South and Central Asia
• Committee on Energy & Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade
  • Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Health

Caucus memberships

• Problem Solvers Caucus
• Climate Solutions Caucus

Personal life

Kean is an Episcopalian. On November 12, 1994, he married Rhonda Lee Norton; they have two children and live in Westfield, New Jersey, .

Electoral history

United States House of Representatives

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New Jersey Senate

New Jersey Assembly

United States Senate

References

References

1. Felzenberg, Alvin S.. (2006). "Governor Tom Kean". Rutgers University Press.
2. [[David Wildstein. Wildstein, David]]. [https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/county-chairs-back-bramnick-assembly-incumbents-for-re-election/ "County chairs back Bramnick, Assembly incumbents for re-election"], ''New jersey Globe'', November 15, 2022. Accessed January 6, 2023. "Bramnick, a former minority leader of the New Jersey State Assembly, won a State Senate seat in 2021 after Tom Kean, Jr., now a congressman-elect, declined to seek re-election in order to focus on his challenge to Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes)."
3. Isherwood, Darryl. (November 8, 2013). "Democrats continue to savage Kean". NJ.com.
4. Lizza, Ryan. (April 14, 2014). "Crossing Christie". New Yorker.
5. "KEAN, Thomas 1968 –". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
6. (December 10, 2000). "Weddings; Dorian Drees, Reed Kean". [[The New York Times]].
7. Chen, David W. [https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/16/nyregion/16kean.html "A Kean on the Ballot? What Else Is New?"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', September 16, 2006. Accessed February 24, 2011. "As he grew up at the family homestead in Livingston, the younger Mr. Kean said he was most impressed with the reception that his father received in the community."
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9. Chen, David W.. (October 23, 2006). "Out to Show He's Not Just an Old Jersey Name (Published 2006)". The New York Times.
10. Bowman, Bill. [https://archive.today/20120717152028/http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030927/NEWS/70821078 "Ex-governor's son swims upstream"], ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', September 27, 2003. Accessed April 17, 2008. "Kean, who was appointed to the Assembly in March 2001 upon the resignation of the late Alan Augustine, won re-election in 2001. He was appointed to his 21st District Senate seat earlier this year after the resignation of Richard H. Bagger."
11. [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=220 Senator Thomas H. Kean Jr. legislative web page], [[New Jersey Legislature]]. Accessed April 17, 2008.
12. (June 20, 2019). "Senate passes budget 31-6". New Jersey Globe.
13. [http://www.state.nj.us/lps/elections/2006results/06primaryelection/2006-pri-elect-senate-results.pdf Unofficial List - Candidates for US Senate - For June 2006 Primary Election] {{webarchive. link. (September 22, 2006, dated June 7, 2006)
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21. David Wildstein. (July 1, 2021). "Kean will run for Congress in 2022 in rematch against Malinowski".
22. Kerry Picket. (July 5, 2021). "Tom Kean Jr. hopes the fourth time's a charm in bid for New Jersey House seat".
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24. Stephanie Murray. (July 12, 2021). "It's Republican-vs.-Republican in Texas".
25. (June 11, 2022). "Democrats on the ropes from redistricting could determine balance of power in Congress". ABC News.
26. (November 8, 2022). "New Jersey Seventh Congressional District Election Results". The New York Times.
27. "Altman raises whopping $2.1 million in three months for campaign against Kean".
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29. (April 18, 2023). "'Where is Junior?' Protesters Descend on Kean Country".
30. (April 30, 2024). "Running in a moderate NJ district, progressive activist tosses the political playbook".
31. (2024). "Democrats test a battleground theory: IVF fears can win against a 'pro-choice' Republican". Politico.
32. Sobko, Katie. "NJ 7th District: We met with Tom Kean Jr. and Sue Altman. Here's what they said".
33. (2023-10-11). "16 House Republicans voice opposition to EATS Act".
34. "More lawmakers push to kill EATS Act".
35. Fox, Joey. (May 30, 2024). "Tom Kean Jr. will support Trump for president".
36. Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154. "Thomas H. Kean, Jr. (New Jersey (NJ)), 119th Congress Profile".
37. (March 8, 2023). "Kean joins Problem Solvers Caucus".
38. "About Climate Solutions Caucus". Climate Solutions Caucus.
39. "Religious affiliation of members of 116th Congress". PEW Research Center.
40. (November 13, 1994). "WEDDINGS; Rhonda Norton, Thomas Kean Jr.". [[The New York Times]].
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