District 7 General Election Profile: Tom Malinowski​

DISTRICT 7, NJ— Tom Malinowski is running for re-election in the House of Representatives 7th Congressional District general election on Nov. 3. He is running against Republican Tom Kean Jr.

If elected this would be Malinowski's second term. He has served as a congressman for District 7 since 2019. He previously served on the US State Department as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor under President Barack Obama.

He has also served as Washington Director for Human Rights Watch and Senior Director for National Security Council under President Bill Clinton.

Malinowski has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Philosophy from Oxford University.

Campaign website

Malinowskifornj.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking re-election to continue serving my constituents as we navigate a public health and economic emergency, while protecting the rule of law and our nation’s democratic institutions. If reelected, my goals for next year include ensuring federal relief for our small businesses and local governments, achieving significant federal investment in infrastructure to get people back to work, enacting legislation to protect our kids from gun violence, lowering drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate fair market prices with pharmaceutical companies, and building on the Affordable Care Act so that all Americans have access to affordable health care. This year, I helped obtain federal funding for the first stage of New Jersey’s all important Gateway rail transportation project; I want to finish the job by securing support for a new Hudson River Tunnel. Having helped persuade the House to pass legislation to restore our SALT deductions, I want to see that bill enacted into law.

The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Our most urgent challenge is getting COVID-19 under control, and recovering from the economic crisis the pandemic created. I've worked hard over the last several months to get economic relief for small business owners and those who lost their jobs. After passing the CARES Act, which delivered over $2 billion for people in our district alone, my team and I have been working with constituents one person at a time to ensure they get the help they need -- thus far, for example, we have helped over 1,800 constituents cut through red tape in Trenton to get their unemployment assistance. Meanwhile, I've passed legislation in the House to fix our broken national stockpile of medical and protective equipment, and have been insisting that our next COVID-19 relief package provide targeted relief to our state, county and local governments to replace revenues they have lost in the economic crisis. Defeating COVID will require a national plan based on sound scientific guidance. If we have a president in January willing to take responsibility for implementing such a plan, I will work with him to ensure it's properly funded; if we do not, I will insist that Congress hold him accountable.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I've been representing our district in Washington for just under two years; my opponent, State Senator Tom Kean Jr., has been in Trenton for almost 20 years. So we both have a record, and our records are very different. I support the Affordable Care Act; Senator Kean opposes it, while offering no plan to replace it. I support the strong gun laws that protect our kids in New Jersey; Senator Kean voted against most of them, including stronger background checks and limits on the size of ammunition clips. I support a woman’s right to choose; Senator Kean repeatedly voted to defund Planned Parenthood. I have been delivering federal aid for New Jersey Transit and the Gateway Project; Senator Kean supported Governor Christie's disastrous decision to cancel the ARC Tunnel. I am one of the few politicians who accepts no campaign contributions from corporate political action committees; Senator Kean has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from corporate PACs, including insurance and pharmaceutical companies. I listen to my constituents, having held more than 60 town hall meetings open to all members of the public since my election; Senator Kean holds no public town halls.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

In addition to delivering economic relief to my constituents and federal funding for New Jersey, I have been an outspoken advocate in Congress for combating political extremism and violence in our country, including anti-Semitism and the white supremacist groups responsible for most acts of terrorism in our country in recent years. I led a successful effort to restore funding the administration cut from the Department of Homeland Security to fight domestic terrorism and extremism, and have cosponsored a bipartisan resolution condemning QAnon. While my opponent has endorsed President Trump for reelection and attended his rallies, I have always spoken clearly when the president crosses basic lines of decency and honesty, just as I do when I hear intolerant statements from people on my side of the political spectrum. In these difficult times for our country, I believe we need leaders willing to stand up and say what is right and wrong.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Prior to my election, I served in positions of responsibility under two presidents, worked with Republicans and Democrats, including Senator John McCain, to pass significant legislation in Congress, and was unanimously confirmed by a Republican Senate to serve as an Assistant Secretary of State. I hope that my achievements in delivering for my constituents and my accessibility over the last two years will continue to earn their trust.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Take responsibility and share the credit.