Thomas Howard Kean Jr.

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. A member of the Republican Party, he previously 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.

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. He is a moderate member of the Republican Party.

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 the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy 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.

Kean was absent from Congress and was not seen in public from March 5, 2026, to June 30, 2026. In a June 30 return to the floor of the U.S. House, he said a depression diagnosis and subsequent hospitalization led to his absence from Congress.

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

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".

Sue Altman, his opponent in the 2024 election, and other critics have called Kean out for not holding in-person town halls. Fred Snowflack of Insider NJ minimized the potential negative impact on Kean, reporting that "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.

In February 2026, Kean supported Trump's initial strikes in the 2026 Iran war. Kean has voted against multiple resolutions concerning presidential war powers in the context of that war.

Absence from office amid treatment for depression Kean was absent from Congress from March 5 to June 30, 2026, missing more than 100 votes as members of Congress may not cast votes remotely. Kean was not seen in public or photographed during his absence. and submitted expenses for staff travel in Las Vegas and personal travel in San Francisco.

On June 30, Kean returned to Congress and announced he had been diagnosed with depression in early spring 2026. He explained that he had been hospitalized to treat his depression and that he had originally expected to return to work quickly, but his doctors had recommended he remain in the hospital to continue receiving treatment.

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