District 7 General Election 2022: Tom Kean Jr.

DISTRICT 7, NJ — Republican Tom Kean Jr., former state senator, is running for election in the House of Representatives 7th Congressional District general election on June 7.

Kean Jr. is running against incumbent Tom Malinowski. The pair faced off against each other in the previous 2020 election where Malinowski narrowly inched out Kean.

District 7 covers all of Hunterdon County, and parts of Essex, Morris, Somerset, Union, and Warren counties.

Are you running for office in District 7? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Tom Kean Jr.

Age: 54

Town of Residence: Westfield

Position Sought: US House of Representatives, NJ-7

Party Affiliation: Republican

Family: Wife, Rhonda and two daughters

Education:

Dartmouth College, A.B.
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, M.A. in Law and Diplomacy
Completed Doctoral Studies A.B.D.

Occupation: Former Legislator

Previous Elected or Appointed Office: NJ General Assembly 2001-2003, NJ Senate 2003-2022, NJ Senate Republican Leader 2008-2022

Campaign website: www.TomKean.com

Why are you seeking to run for District 7?

I’m running for Congress to bring our New Jersey values and priorities to Washington, DC. It is
clear that Tom Malinowski, a 30-year DC-insider, does not understand that inflation is ripping
$695 a month from every family’s paycheck, seniors’ retirement savings are shrinking, and that
this Congress is making our economy weaker every step of the way. I have a history of being a
leader and a problem solver in this state. I want to bring that experience to Congress to break
the back of inflation, restore energy independence to lower the price of gas and goods, promote
American industry to shorten our supply chains, and support middle class tax relief so families
can keep more of their money.

Do you feel flooding is an issue in the district? How would you like to address it?

I began focusing on flood control issues early in my career while working in former
Congressman Bob Franks’ office. We worked to ensure that the Green Brook Flood Control
project made its way through Congress, and in practice built strong community partnerships
here in NJ-7 to protect our communities from floods. In the state legislature, I fought for the
Rahway River Flood Control project which continued our state’s commitment to flood control. In
Congress, I will continue to advocate for flood controls and protections such as the Flood
Resiliency and Taxpayer Savings Act of 2021.

How do you feel about Roe v Wade being overturned?

I believe in a woman’s right to choose up to 20 weeks. After that, I believe in exceptions for
cases of rape, incest and when the life or health of the mother is at risk. Unlike my opponent,
Tom Malinowski, I oppose late-term abortions. Post Dobbs, I believe that this is an issue that
should be decided at the state level and would oppose federal bans.

Inflation has hurt residents and business owners in the area, how do you plan to help them?

My opponent ignored economists’ warnings and voted for bills he knew would increase inflation.
Now we’re all paying more. To help residents and business owners, first we need to stop the
out-of-control spending coming out of Washington, DC. Additionally, we need Congress to back
energy independence to lower the price of gas, promote American industry to shorten our
supply chains, and support middle class tax relief so families can keep more of their money.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in the district?

We need to ensure our law enforcement is supported with all of the resources they need to keep
our communities safe. We see a rise in crime right in our backyard - car thefts and home
invasions are increasing and we need the strongest possible policies and resources for police
departments to combat it. Strong law enforcement will also help fight the epidemic of fentanyl in
our communities. In 2019, the most recent data available, fentanyl was found in the bodies of
2,248 overdose victims — 75% of all drug-related deaths in New Jersey.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I’m running to get Washington, DC’s priorities in line with ours here at home. Unlike Tom
Malinowski, who speaks and leaves - I listen and lead. We need to elect a Congress that will
break the back of inflation and fix our economy. I have a proven record of fighting for
affordability and leading on the type of policies that grow our economy, allow families to keep
more of their money and unleash entrepreneurial innovation. Also, unlike my opponent, in my
20 year career in the New Jersey Legislature, I had a strong record of leading by example, and
clearly following ethics and transparency rules the entire time. Today, Tom Malinowski is being
actively investigated by the House Ethics Committee for violating the law designed to stop
insider trading over 145 times in just the past two years.