Thomas Howard Kean Jr. ( ; born September 5, 1968) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 7th congressional district since 2023. Previously, 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, and represented the same district in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2001 to 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.

First elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 2001, he was later elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2003. In 2006, Kean ran for U.S. Senate, losing to interim senator Bob Menendez. In January 2008, Kean became minority leader of the New Jersey Senate. After Governor Chris Christie's re-election in 2013, Christie unsuccessfully tried to remove him as minority leader. Kean was frequently named as a potential candidate for governor in 2017, but he did not run.

Kean was first elected to Congress in 2022, defeating incumbent Democrat Tom Malinowski in a rematch. He was re-elected in 2024, defeating former New Jersey Working Families Party director Sue Altman.

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. and holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from Fletcher School at Tufts University. 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

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

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

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

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

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

2026

Kean is a candidate for reelection in 2026. He has been endorsed by Donald Trump and has no primary opponent. In late May, The New York Times reported that Kean had reached out to several of his Republican colleagues, in Congress and at the state and local level, to reassure them that he was expecting to fully recover from a "personal medical condition" that had kept him from Washington, D.C., since March, though his staff was unwilling to respond to questions from the newspaper regarding the specifics of his health issues. Cook Political Report had described the seat as a "toss up" in an analysis published before his absence began and individuals connected to the Republican Party expressed concerns about the party's ability to hold on to a majority in Congress without a Kean victory in November.

Tenure

thumb|right|Kean and other members of Congress with Ukrainian President [[Volodymyr Zelenskyy in April 2024]]

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.

In 2024, Kean, one of 17 House Republicans representing a district that voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, endorsed Donald Trump.

An April 27 social media post to Kean's official Twitter account stated that he was dealing with an unspecified medical issue and that he planned to return to his duties in the near future. On May 15, Kean's father told NJ.com that his son had a "serious" illness and was receiving medical care.

In May 2026, House speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that he had not heard from Kean recently.

In telephone interview, published on May 21 on the website New Jersey Globe, Kean stated he was recovering from a health issue and said: "I anticipate that in the next couple of weeks, I'll return to voting and to the campaign trail."

During this absence, Kean reported his personal stock trading activity and submitted expenses for travel in Las Vegas and San Francisco for himself and his staff.

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 have lived in Westfield, New Jersey since 2006.

Electoral history

United States House of Representatives

New Jersey Senate

New Jersey Assembly

United States Senate

References

  • Congressman Thomas Kean Jr. official U.S. House website
  • Kean Jr. for Congress campaign website
  • Senator Thomas H. Kean Jr. legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature
  • New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
  • 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004
  • "The New Jersey X Factor", Mother Jones magazine, October 30, 2006.

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