Thomas Kean Jr.

Thomas Howard Kean Jr. ( ; born September 5, 1968) is an American Republican politician and the U.S. representative-elect from New Jersey's 7th congressional district. From 2001 until 2003, he was a New Jersey General Assemblyman, representing the 21st legislative district, which includes parts of Union, Morris, Somerset, and Essex counties. In 2003, he was elected a New Jersey Senate, 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 retiring from the Senate in 2022.

After Governor Chris Christie was 2013 New Jersey gubernatorial election, reelected in 2013, Christie tried and failed to remove Kean as minority leader. Kean was frequently mentioned as a potential Republican candidate for governor in the 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial election, but did not seek the nomination. He was the Republican nominee for New Jersey's 7th congressional district in 2020, narrowly losing to incumbent Democratic Party (United States), Democrat Tom Malinowski in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 7, general election. He was the Republican nominee for the 7th district again in 2022, defeating Malinowski in a rematch.

Early life

Kean was born in Livingston, New Jersey, Livingston, one of twin sons of Deborah Kean, Deborah (née Bye) and Thomas Kean, who went on to be twice elected governor of New Jersey, serving from 1982 to 1990; the couple also had a daughter. Thomas Jr. grew up on the family's estate in Livingston. His grandfather is Robert Kean, a former congressman from New Jersey. His great-grandfather Hamilton Fish Kean and great-great-uncle John Kean (New Jersey), 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 (state), 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.

Kean graduated from the Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 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, where he completed doctoral studies ABD in international relations. At Dartmouth, he was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity. He 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 resides in Westfield, New Jersey, Westfield, with his wife, Rhonda, and their two daughters.

New Jersey Assembly

Kean was appointed to the New Jersey General Assembly, 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.Senator Thomas H. Kean Jr. legislative web page
New Jersey Legislature. Accessed April 17, 2008. 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 Natural environment, 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.Senator Tom Kean, Jr.
New Jersey Senate Republicans. Accessed November 23, 2016.

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

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. 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. Kean was endorsed by ''The Courier-Post'', ''The Press of Atlantic City'', and ''Asbury Park Press''.

U.S House of Representatives

Elections

2000

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

2020

On April 16, 2019, Kean announced that he was running for New Jersey's 7th congressional district in 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey, 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 (California politician), 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

Kean announced in February 2021 that he would not seek reelection to the New Jersey Senate, State Senate and quickly became a top recruit for Republican Party (United States), Republicans to run for New Jersey's 7th congressional district. 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. David Wasserman, the U.S. House editor of the nonpartisan ''Cook Political Report'', suggested that Democrats could redraw the 7th district as more Republican in exchange for making New Jersey's 11th congressional district, the 11th district and New Jersey's 5th congressional district, 5th district more solidly Democratic. Kean formally announced his campaign on July 14, 2021, joined by Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives#Minority Leader, U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (California politician), Kevin McCarthy. He won the Republican primary in June 2022 and the general election with 51.8% (156,414 votes) to Malinowski's 48.2% (145,253 votes).

Caucus Memberships

* Republican Main Street Partnership

Electoral history

United States House of Representatives

New Jersey Senate

New Jersey Assembly

United States Senate

References

External links

Kean Jr. for Congress
campaign website
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Senator Thomas H. Kean Jr. legislative web page
New Jersey Legislature
* ''New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms''
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201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004

District 21 Candidates website Kean (Senate), Bramnick & Munoz (Assembly)



''Mother Jones (magazine), Mother Jones'' magazine, October 30, 2006.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kean, Thomas Jr.
1968 births
21st-century American politicians
Candidates in the 2006 United States elections
Candidates in the 2020 United States elections
Dartmouth College alumni
Kean family, Thomas Jr.
Living people
Livingston family
Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly
Republican Party New Jersey state senators
People from Livingston, New Jersey
People from Westfield, New Jersey
Politicians from Union County, New Jersey
Pingry School alumni
Schuyler family
Winthrop family
Psi Upsilon