Tom Kean
Official portrait, 2022
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Jersey's7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Tom Malinowski
Minority Leader of theNew Jersey Senate
In office January 8, 2008 – January 11, 2022
Preceded by	Leonard Lance
Succeeded by	Steve Oroho
Member of theNew Jersey Senate from the21st district
In office March 1, 2003 – January 11, 2022
Preceded by	Rich Bagger
Succeeded by	Jon Bramnick
Member of theNew Jersey General Assembly
In office April 19, 2001 – March 1, 2003
Preceded by	Alan Augustine
Succeeded by	Jon Bramnick
Constituency	22nd district (2001–2002) 21st district (2002–2003)
Personal details
Born	(1968-09-05)September 5, 1968 (age 56) Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Rhonda Norton ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	2
Parents	Thomas Kean (father) Deborah Kean (mother)
Relatives	Robert Kean (grandfather) Leslie Kean (cousin)
Education	Dartmouth College (BA) Tufts University (MA)
Website	House website
Thomas Kean Jr.'s voice Thomas Kean Jr. speaks onInternational Holocaust Remembrance Day Recorded April 18, 2023

Thomas Howard Kean Jr. (/ˈkeɪn/KAYN;^[1] born September 5, 1968) is an American politician serving as theU.S. representative fromNew Jersey's 7th congressional district since 2023. He representedNew Jersey's 21st legislative district in theNew Jersey Senate from 2003 to 2022, serving as minority leader from 2008 to 2022.

From 2001 to 2003, Kean was a member of theNew Jersey General Assembly. In 2003, he was elected aNew Jersey state senator representing the same district, and in January 2008 he becameminority leader of the New Jersey Senate, serving in the position until his term ended in January 2022.^[2] After GovernorChris Christie wasreelected in 2013, Christie tried and failed to remove him as minority leader.^[3] He was frequently mentioned as a potential Republican candidate for governor in the2017 New Jersey gubernatorial election, but did not seek the nomination.^[4]

Kean was the Republican nominee forNew Jersey's 7th congressional district in2020, narrowly losing the general election to incumbentDemocratTom Malinowski. He defeated Malinowski in a2022 rematch. Kean was re-elected in2024, defeating former New JerseyWorking Families Party director Sue Altman. He is considered amoderate Republican.

Kean was born inLivingston, New Jersey, on September 5, 1968.^[5] His parents areDeborah (née Bye)^[6] andThomas Kean. His father served as governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990.^[7] His grandfatherRobert Kean was a former congressman from New Jersey. Through his father, he is also a descendant ofWilliam Livingston, the state's first governor.^[8]

Kean grew up on the family's estate in Livingston.^[7] He has two siblings. He graduated from thePingry School.^[5]

Kean is also a graduate ofDartmouth College, where he was a member of thePsi Upsilon fraternity,^[9] and holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy fromFletcher School at Tufts University.^[10]

Kean was an aide to former CongressmanBob Franks and a special assistant at theUnited States Environmental Protection Agency in theGeorge H. W. Bush administration.^[5]

Kean was appointed to theGeneral Assembly, thelower house of theNew Jersey Legislature, in April 2001, to serve out the unexpired term ofAlan Augustine, who had resigned on March 21, 2001, for health reasons. He was elected to a full term in the Assembly in November 2001.^[11] In the Assembly, he chaired the Republican Policy Committee and served as vice chair of the State Government Committee.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2003, Kean was appointed to theNew Jersey Senate to serve out the unexpired term ofRich 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.^[10]

Kean was one of six Republicans in the state senate to vote for a 2019 appropriations bill that passed 31 to 6.^[12]

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

Kean was the Republican nominee for theUnited States Senate seat vacated by former U.S. senator and formergovernor of New JerseyJon 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.^[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] He was endorsed byThe Courier-Post,The Press of Atlantic City, andAsbury Park Press.

Kean sought the Republican nomination forNew Jersey's 7th congressional district, but lost the primary toMike 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 forNew Jersey's 7th congressional district in2020, challenging first-term Democratic incumbentTom 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 LeaderKevin 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 theState Senate and immediately became the subject of speculation that he was preparing to run forNew 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 neighboring11th and5th districts became more solidly Democratic. Kean formally announced his campaign on July 14, 2021, joined byU.S. House Minority LeaderKevin 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 won reelection in 2024 against Democratic nominee Sue Altman, a former leader of the New Jersey'sWorking Families Party.^[27]

Kean is a member of theRepublican Main Street Partnership, and joined theProblem Solvers Caucus. Kean said he joined the caucus to assure constituents that he remains committed to "working across the aisle". He is amoderate Republican, though detractors have said he could have done more to distance himself from the politics of President Trump.^[28][29]

Critics have called Kean out for holding "Telephone Town Halls", especially Sue Altman, his opponent in the 2024 election. Others counter that Kean's lesser media presence is a strength. Fred Snowflack ofInsider 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."^[30]

During his 2022 election campaign, Kean, who self-describes as pro-choice, promised voters that he would support abortion rights.^[31][32] After theDobbs decision, he said "this decision is now best to happen on the state level."^[33] During his tenure, he voted against theWomen's Health Protection Act which would have codified the abortion rights that the Supreme Court overturned.^[31] He voted for theBorn-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.^[31] Kean has expressed support forIVF and introduced legislation to provide income tax credits to people undergoing fertility treatments.^[32]

In 2024, Kean, one of 17 House Republicans representing a district that voted forJoe Biden, endorsedDonald Trump.^[34][33]

For the 118th Congress:^[35]

• Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Africa
  • Subcommittee on Europe (chair)
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

• Problem Solvers Caucus^[28]
• Climate Solutions Caucus^[36]

Kean is anEpiscopalian.^[37] On November 12, 1994, he married Rhonda Lee Norton; they have two children and live inWestfield, New Jersey, as of 2006^[update].^[38][39]

New Jersey general election, 2003^[46]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Thomas Kean Jr. (Incumbent)	32,058	67.4	8.8
	Democratic	Francis D. McIntyre	14,470	30.4	11.0
	Green	Teresa Migliore-DiMatteo	1,055	2.2	N/A
Total votes			47,583	100.0

• Congressman Thomas Kean Jr. official U.S. House website
• Kean Jr. for Congress campaign website
• Biography at theBiographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at theFederal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at theLibrary of Congress
• Profile atVote Smart
• Senator Thomas H. Kean Jr. legislative web page,New Jersey Legislature
• New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
  • 201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004
• "The New Jersey X Factor",Mother Jones magazine, October 30, 2006.
• Appearances onC-SPAN

• 1968 births
• Candidates in the 2000 United States elections
• Candidates in the 2006 United States elections
• Candidates in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections
• Dartmouth College alumni
• Episcopalians from New Jersey
• Kean family
• Living people
• Livingston family
• Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly
• Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey
• Republican Party New Jersey state senators
• People from Livingston, New Jersey
• Politicians from Westfield, New Jersey
• Pingry School alumni
• Psi Upsilon
• United States congressional aides
• Winthrop family
• 21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives
• 21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature

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