Summary
Current Position: US Representative of NJ District 7 since 2023
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: New Jersey Senate 21st District from 2003 to 2022, serving as minority leader from 2008 to 2022
District: includes all of Hunterdon and Warren Counties; and parts of Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties
Upcoming Election:
Kean is the son of former New Jersey governor Thomas Kean. 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. He has also been a volunteer firefighter and a volunteer emergency medical technician.
OnAir Post: Thomas Kean Jr. NJ-07
News
About
Source: Government site
Tom Kean, Jr. is serving his first term in Congress representing New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. In the 118th Congress, Tom serves on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee as Chair of the Europe Subcommittee, and the Science, Space, & Technology Committee. As the representative for more than 775,000 New Jersey residents, Tom is focused on keeping costs low for families, improving access to care, supporting a robust and reliable infrastructure, boosting innovation at home, and helping students reach their top potential.
From a young age, Tom understood and recognized the importance of civic engagement. He started volunteering and taught Sunday school at his church. Tom embarked on his career in public service when he received an appointment from President George H.W. Bush to work in the Environmental Protection Agency, where he met his wife, Rhonda. Following the Bush administration, Tom served as a legislative staffer in New Jersey Congressman Bob Franks’ Washington, D.C. office, where he advised the Congressman on commerce, energy resources, environmental issues, and foreign affairs. In addition to his professional duties in Washington, DC, he was the vice president of a fire department where he volunteered as a firefighter and an emergency medical technician.
In 2001, Tom was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly, where he quickly developed a reputation as a leader in bipartisan consensus. Two years later, Tom was named to the New Jersey Senate where he served 14 years as Republican Leader. In that time he led the caucus to pass property tax relief, invest in quality education for students, and fight for policies that create new jobs and economic opportunity.
In addition to serving as Leader, during his legislative tenure, Tom also served on some of the most important Standing Legislative Committees including Budget & Appropriations, Commerce, Judiciary, Legislative Oversight, Higher Education and Health & Human Services. His committee work enabled him to see firsthand how innovation could pave the way toward meaningful and common sense solutions on policy issues ranging from the economy to education to the environment.
Tom’s work laid the groundwork for the creation of new industries, including a thriving Brewpub industry, and the transformation of existing ones by spearheading the State’s investment in technological advancement in order to spur economic development, job creation and government efficiency.
Tom’s academic training and work experience reflect his lifelong concern for responsive and appropriate actions and policies that advance the preservation of the environment without imposing undue burdens on taxpayers and businesses. As a legislator, he took a measured approach to supporting clean energy, recognizing that the State required a realistic, cost-effective way to create a renewable energy portfolio that embraced ALL available resources and emergent technologies, including nuclear, solar, and natural gas.
His responsive, student-focused approach to education initiatives such as expanding school choice, and as a strong defender of children and families earned him accolades as a healthcare “Champion for Children” and as a NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking’s Legislative Champion. He was previously named Legislator of the Year by the Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association, received the Legislative Leader Award from the New Jersey Conference of Mayors, and received a 100% voting rating from the National Federation of Independent Business.
Tom served on the Senate Higher Education, Senate Commerce and Legislative Oversight committees. In addition to his standing committee work, the congressman also served as a senate liaison to several key state commissions including almost two decades on the State Council on the Arts. He was also the Senate appointee to the New Jersey Israel Commission and the New Jersey Amistad Commission.
Tom is a graduate of Dartmouth College and attended the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. There, he received a master’s degree in law and diplomacy, and was also employed as a graduate school instructor. Tom completed his doctoral studies ABD at Fletcher.
Tom and his wife, Rhonda and their two daughters reside in Westfield, New Jersey.
Personal
Full Name: Thomas ‘Tom’ H. Kean, Jr.
Gender: Male
Family: Wife: Rhonda; 2 Children
Birth Date: 09/05/1968
Home City: Westfield, NJ
Source: BA, History, Dartmouth College MALD, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University Representative, United States House of Representatives, New Jersey, District 7, 2023-present Senator, New Jersey State Senate, District 21, 2003-2022 Minority Leader, New Jersey State Senate, 2008-2022 Candidate, United States Senate, 2012 Minority Whip, New Jersey State Senate, 2004-2007 Candidate, United States Senate, New Jersey, 2006 Assembly Member, New Jersey General Assembly, 2001-2003 Deputy Whip, New Jersey State Senate, 2003 ide, Congressman Bob Franks Former Employee, Environmental Protection Agency Graduate School Instructor, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tuft’s University Washington, D.C. Office Email: Government Source: none Source: Open Secrets House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee House Foreign Affairs Committee House Science, Space & Technology Committee SALT Caucus (Vice-Chair) Learn more about legislation sponsored and co-sponsored by Congressman Kean. Source: Government page The Seventh District of New Jersey is home to some of the most unique transportation challenges in the country and helping solve them is one of my top prio One of my most important priorities in Congress is to restore the full State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction. I believe that our nation must maintain a strong and robust military, which is crucial for protecting the interests of our nation at home and abroad. America is a land of immigrants. Many of us have family who generations ago came here seeking the opportunity for a better life. Source: Government page Source: Wikipedia The district, which has become more ethnically diverse over time, is one of the most affluent congressional districts in the United States, with the fifth-highest median income in the nation. Thomas Howard Kean Jr. (/ˈkeɪn/ KAYN;[1] born September 5, 1968) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from New Jersey’s 7th congressional district since 2023. He represented New Jersey’s 21st legislative district in the New Jersey Senate from 2003 to 2022, serving as minority leader from 2008 to 2022. A member of the Republican Party, Kean is the son of former New Jersey governor Thomas Kean. From 2001 to 2003, Kean was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly, representing the 21st legislative district, which includes parts of Union, Morris, Somerset, and Essex counties. In 2003, he was elected a New Jersey state senator representing the same district, and in January 2008 he became minority leader of the New Jersey Senate, serving in the position until his term ended in January 2022.[2] After Governor Chris Christie was reelected in 2013, Christie tried and failed to remove Kean as minority leader.[3] Kean was frequently mentioned as a potential Republican candidate for governor in the 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial election, but did not seek the nomination.[4] Kean ran to represent New Jersey’s 7th congressional district in 2000 and lost to Mike Ferguson in the Republican primary. He ran again in 2020 and became the Republican nominee, but lost the general election to incumbent Democrat Tom Malinowski. In a 2022 rematch, Kean defeated Malinowski. Thomas Howard Kean Jr.’s father is Thomas Howard Kean, who served as governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990.[5] His grandfather is Robert Kean, a former congressman from New Jersey. His great-grandfather Hamilton Fish Kean and great-great-uncle John Kean were both U.S. senators. His grandmother’s family are descendants of Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch colonial governor of New Amsterdam (now known as New York). His great-grandmother Katharine Winthrop was a direct descendant of John Winthrop, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He is also a direct descendant of Thomas Dudley, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and a signer of Harvard College‘s charter. His second great-great-uncle was Hamilton Fish, a U.S. senator, governor of New York, and U.S. Secretary of State. He is also a relative of William Livingston, the first governor of New Jersey.[6] His great-great-great-great-grandfather, John Kean, served in the Continental Congress during the American Revolutionary War, where he advocated ratification of the United States Constitution and was appointed a member of the commission to audit accounts of the Continental Army by General Washington. Kean was born in Livingston, New Jersey, one of twin sons of Deborah (née Bye)[7] and Thomas Kean; the couple also had a daughter. Thomas Jr. grew up on the family’s estate in Livingston.[5] Kean graduated from the Pingry School in Basking Ridge. He is also a graduate of Dartmouth College and holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, but left before completing his Ph.D. in international relations.[8] At Dartmouth, he was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity.[9] 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. He has also been a volunteer firefighter and a volunteer emergency medical technician. 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.[10] In the Assembly, he chaired the Republican Policy Committee and served as vice chair of the State Government Committee. 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.[8] In the state legislature, Kean was a proponent of ethics reform in New Jersey government. He was the original sponsor of legislation banning pay to play practices in New Jersey. He sponsored legislation to streamline government, promote education, protect the environment, and lower property taxes. Kean was one of 24 elected officials chosen as an Aspen Rodel Fellow in Public Service. In 2002, Kean was named one of 40 state leaders nationwide to be recognized as a Toll Fellow by the Council of State Governments for high achievement and service to state government. In 2005, the New Jersey Conference of Mayors named Kean a Legislative Leader. He also received, for the second year in a row, the Amerigroup Foundation’s Champion for Children award for his advocacy on behalf of children’s health issues. He was named Legislator of the year by the Fireman’s Benevolent Association and received a 100% voting rating from the National Federation of Independent Business.[11] Kean was one of six Republicans in the state senate to vote for a 2019 appropriations bill that passed 31 to 6.[12] 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 now filled by Corzine’s designated replacement, Bob Menendez. Kean won the June 6, 2006, primary against John P. Ginty by a 3–1 margin.[13] 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.[14] Kean was endorsed by The Courier-Post, The Press of Atlantic City, and Asbury Park Press. 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.[15] 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.[16] In the first quarter of 2019, Kean nearly matched Malinowski’s fundraising total of over $500,000.[17] In August 2019, Kean was endorsed by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.[18] 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.[19] 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.[20] 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.[21][22] 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.[23][24] He won the Republican primary in June 2022[25] and the general election with 51.4% (159,392 votes) to Malinowski’s 48.6% (150,701 votes).[26] Kean is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, and joined the Problem Solvers Caucus, a centrist House caucus. The caucus has led him to cooperate with other members of Congress from New Jersey, such as Democrats Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill. Kean said he joined the caucus to assure constituents that he remains committed to “working across the aisle”. He is a moderate Republican, though detractors have said he could have done more to distance himself from the politics of President Trump.[27][28] Critics have called Kean out for holding “Telephone Town Halls”, especially Sue Altman, the executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance. 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”.[29] For the 118th Congress:[30] Kean is an Episcopalian.[32] He resides in Westfield with his wife, Rhonda Lee Norton,[33] and their two daughters.[34] Education
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Bernardsville, NJ 07924Phone: (908) 547-3307Contact
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District
New Jersey’s 7th congressional district includes all of Hunterdon and Warren Counties; and parts of Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties. The district is represented by Republican Thomas Kean Jr., who was first elected in 2022, defeating Democratic incumbent Tom Malinowski.Wikipedia
Ancestry
Early life
New Jersey Assembly
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2006 U.S. Senate campaign
U.S House of Representatives
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2022
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United States House of Representatives
Party Candidate Votes % Republican Tom Kean Jr. 159,392 51.4% Democratic Tom Malinowski (incumbent) 150,701 48.6% Republican gain from Democratic Party Candidate Votes % Democratic Tom Malinowski (incumbent) 219,688 50.6 Republican Tom Kean Jr. 214,359 49.4 Democratic hold New Jersey Senate
Party Candidate Votes % Republican Thomas Kean Jr. (Incumbent) 37,579 54.7 Democratic Jill Lazare 31,123 45.3 Republican hold Party Candidate Votes % Republican Thomas Kean Jr. (Incumbent) 42,423 69.6 Democratic Michael Komondy 18,517 30.4 Republican hold Party Candidate Votes % Republican Thomas Kean Jr. (Incumbent) 27,750 67.5 Democratic Paul Swanicke 13,351 32.5 Republican hold Party Candidate Votes % Republican Thomas Kean Jr. (Incumbent) 29,795 59.7 Democratic Gina Genovese 20,092 40.3 Republican hold Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Thomas Kean Jr. (Incumbent) 32,058 67.4 
8.8 Democratic Francis D. McIntyre 14,470 30.4 
11.0Green Teresa Migliore-DiMatteo 1,055 2.2 N/A Total votes 47,583 100.0 New Jersey Assembly
Party Candidate Votes % Republican Thomas Kean Jr. 44,223 31.8 Republican Eric Munoz 39,457 28.4 Democratic Tom Jardim 28,499 20.5 Democratic J. Brooke Hern 26,896 19.3 Total votes 139,075 100.0 United States Senate
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Democratic Bob Menendez (inc.) 1,200,843 53.3% +3.1% Republican Thomas Kean Jr. 997,775 44.3% −2.8% Libertarian Len Flynn 14,637 0.7% +0.4% Marijuana Edward Forchion 11,593 0.5% Independent J.M. Carter 7,918 0.4 +0.2 Independent N. Leonard Smith 6,243 0.3% Independent Daryl Brooks 5,138 0.2% Socialist Workers Angela Lariscy 3,433 0.2% +0.1% Socialist Gregory Pason 2,490 0.1% +0.0% Majority 203,068 9.0% Turnout 2,250,070 Democratic hold Swing 3.26% References
From the time James Kean arrived in South Carolina, the Keans took pains to retain the proper pronunciation of their name, which rhymes with rain rather than with green.
Dorian Drees, a daughter of Susan Drees Sugarman of Palm City, Fla., and the late John M. Drees, was married yesterday to Reed Stuyvesant Kean, a son of Thomas H. Kean, the former governor of New Jersey, and Deborah Bye Kean of Far Hills, N.J.
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