Meet the Candidates
Thomas Kean Jr.
Kean is a representative of the Republican Party and is running to represent New Jersey's District 7 in Congress. He is the grandson of former US Representative Robert Kean and the son of Former Governor Thomas H. Kean. He lives in Westfield, New Jersey with his wife and two daughters. He received his BA from Dartmouth College and his M.A.L.D. in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He found his calling in public service, which he has been participating in for the past 20 years. He was a part of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Bush Administration which is where he met his wife Rhonda. Additionally, Kean was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 2001 where he developed a reputation for being a leader in ethics reform. In 2003, Kean was named to the upper house of the state legislature. In 2008, Kean's peers unanimously elected him Senate Republican leader. Currently, he serves on the Senate Higher Education, Senate Commerce and Legislative Oversight Committees. He is also on the Senate of the New Jersey Council on the Arts, New Jersey Israel Commission, and New Jersey Amistad Commission. Lastly, he is an Honorary Member of The Board of Trustees of the Paper Mll Playhouse and the New Jersey Festival Orchestra.
Tom Malinowski
Tom Malinowski is the incumbent Democratic candidate for NJ's District 7 Congressional election. Malinowski was born and raised for his first six years in Communist Poland during the Cold War. He experienced government corruption and exploitation as a child, and when he moved to Princeton, New Jersey, he lived a normal life going to public schools and playing sports, valuing his new home and wanting to help it out in some way in the future. Malinowski got a BA in political science from the University of California, Berkeley and an M. Phil. from Oxford University, and is now the father of one daughter in Ringoes, New Jersey. He decided to contribute to his country by serving President Clinton on his National Security Council as the chief advocate, leading a bipartisan effort to end Bush's use of torture, and as President Obama's Assistant Secretary of State, and cracking down on dictators like Putin and Kim Jong-Un. His election into Congress as a moderate Democrat didn't hinder his outspokenness in fighting for the people of his district in healthcare, gun safety, environmental protection, pushing for the restoration of NJ's State and Local Tax Deduction (SALT) and critical infrastructure. He's worked across party lines to fight for American rights, safety, and leadership, but never hesitates to call out unconstitutional behavior to preserve the country he loved for our kids. He says he'll work towards and prioritizes a bipartisan and effective solution to the COVID-19 pandemic. Malinowski wants to be the best representation of the people of the 7th District and continues to seek their input and improve.