Thomas Kean Jr.

Thomas Kean Jr.
Minority Leader of the New Jersey Senate
Assumed office
January 8, 2008
Preceded by Leonard Lance
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 21st district
Assumed office
March 1, 2003
Preceded by Rich Bagger
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 21st district
In office
January 8, 2002 – March 1, 2003
Preceded by Joel Weingarten
Succeeded by Jon Bramnick
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 22nd district
In office
April 19, 2001 – January 8, 2002
Preceded by Alan Augustine
Succeeded by Jerry Green
Personal details
Born Thomas Howard Kean Jr.
(1968-09-05) September 5, 1968
Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Rhonda Kean
Mother Deborah Bye
Father Thomas Kean
Alma mater Dartmouth College (BA)
Tufts University (MA)
Website Official website

Thomas Howard "Tom" Kean Jr. (born September 5, 1968) is an American Republican politician, the current Minority Leader of the New Jersey Senate, and a New Jersey State Senator. From 2001 until 2003, he was a New Jersey General Assemblyman, and represented the 21st Legislative District, which includes parts of Union, Morris, Somerset, and Essex Counties. In 2003, he was elected a New Jersey State Senator, and in January 2008 became Minority Leader of the New Jersey Senate.

After Governor Chris Christie was reelected in 2013, Christie attempted to remove Kean as Minority Leader, but ultimately failed.[1] Kean was frequently mentioned as a potential Republican candidate for Governor in the 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial election, but did not seek the nomination. [2]

Kean is a member of the Kean family, one of the oldest and most distinguished American families. His father is Thomas Howard Kean, Sr., former Governor of New Jersey. His grandfather is Robert Kean, a former Congressman from New Jersey. His great-grandfather, Hamilton Fish Kean, and great-great-uncle, John Kean, were both United States Senators. His grandmother's family are descendants of Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch colonial Governor of New Amsterdam (now known as New York). His great-grandmother, Katharine Winthrop, was a direct descendant of John Winthrop, the first Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He is also a direct descendant of Thomas Dudley, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and a signer of Harvard College's charter. His second great-great-uncle was Hamilton Fish, a United States Senator, Governor of New York, and U.S. Secretary of State. He is also a relative of William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey.[3]

Early life

Kean was born in Livingston, New Jersey, the son of Thomas Kean and Deborah (née Bye)[4] and Thomas Kean, who was Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990 and Chairman of the 9/11 Commission following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. He grew up on the family's estate in Livingston.[5]

Kean is a graduate of the Pingry School and Dartmouth College and holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he completed doctoral studies ABD in international relations.[6] He was an aide to former Congressman Bob Franks and a Special Assistant at the United States Environmental Protection Agency in the George H. W. Bush administration. He has also been a volunteer firefighter and a volunteer emergency medical technician. Kean currently resides in Westfield, New Jersey with his wife, Rhonda, and their two daughters.[7]

Political career

Kean sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, but was unsuccessful. He lost the Republican primary to Mike Ferguson by about 4,000 votes, finishing second in a field of four candidates.[8]

Kean was appointed to the General Assembly, the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature, in April 2001, to fill out the unexpired term of Alan Augustine, who had resigned on March 21, 2001, due to health reasons. He was elected to a full term in the Assembly in November 2001.[9] In the Assembly, he was the Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee and served as Vice Chairman for the State Government Committee.

In March 2003, he was appointed to the New Jersey Senate to fill out the unexpired term of Rich Bagger. In November 2003, he was elected to fill the seat he had been appointed to. In 2004, Kean was elected Senate Minority Whip, a position he held until 2007. He serves in the Senate on the Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.[6]

In the state legislature, Kean has been a proponent of ethics reform in New Jersey government. He was the original sponsor of legislation banning pay to play practices in New Jersey. He has sponsored legislation to streamline government, promote education, protect the environment, and lower property taxes. Kean was one of 24 elected officials chosen as an Aspen Rodel Fellow in Public Service. In 2002, Kean was named one of 40 state leaders from the entire nation to be recognized as a Toll Fellow by the Council of State Governments for high achievement and service to state government. In 2005, the New Jersey Conference of Mayors named Kean as a Legislative Leader. He has also received, for the second year in a row, the Amerigroup Foundation’s Champion for Children award for his advocacy on behalf of children's health issues. He also has been named Legislator of the year by the Fireman’s Benevolent Association and has received a 100% voting record with the National Federation of Independent Business.[10]

2006 campaign for U.S. Senate

Kean was the Republican nominee running for the United States Senate seat vacated by former U.S. Senator and former Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine, a seat now filled by Corzine's designated replacement, Bob Menendez. Kean was the winner of the June 6, 2006 primary against conservative John P. Ginty, by a 3–1 margin.[11]

He lost the general election to Menendez by a margin of 53.3% to 44.3%. The New Jersey Senate race was the narrowest victory for an incumbent Democrat in the United States.[12]

Kean was endorsed by The Courier-Post, The Press of Atlantic City, and Asbury Park Press.

State Senate

Kean has unveiled a broad proposal to make New Jersey more affordable through budget savings and including long term strategies to provide more property tax relief and prevent toll increases.

Since joining the Legislature in 2001, Kean has pushed for comprehensive ethics reform to curb the influence of campaign contributions receiving inflated government contracts.

As a member of the Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee, Kean has focused on chronic disease management as a long term solution to lower healthcare costs.[13] Kean has also promoted a "four point plan" to make New Jersey a leader in alternative fuel development.[14]

In 2004, Kean introduced legislation to prohibit investment of public money in companies doing business in Sudan because of that country's failure to prevent genocide in Darfur and its human rights abuses that include severe restrictions on the freedoms of assembly, association, movement and speech.[15] The bill passed with bipartisan support and made New Jersey the second state in the country to divest from Sudan.[16] Kean has also supported public interest campaigns to end violence against women in Darfur.[17]

Election history

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New Jersey State Senate elections, 2013[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Thomas Kean Jr. (incumbent) 42,423 69.6
Democratic Michael Komondy 18,517 30.4
Republican hold
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2011[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Thomas Kean Jr. (incumbent) 27,750 67.5
Democratic Paul Swanicke 13,351 32.5
Republican hold
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2007[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Thomas Kean Jr. (incumbent) 29,795 59.7
Democratic Gina Genovese 20,092 40.3
Republican hold
United States Senate election in New Jersey, 2006[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Bob Menendez (inc.) 1,200,843 53.3% +3.1%
Republican Thomas Kean Jr. 997,775 44.3% −2.8%
Libertarian Len Flynn 14,637 0.7% +0.4%
Marijuana Edward Forchion 11,593 0.5%
Independent J.M. Carter 7,918 0.4 +0.2
Independent N. Leonard Smith 6,243 0.3%
Independent Daryl Brooks 5,138 0.2%
Socialist Workers Angela Lariscy 3,433 0.2% +0.1%
Socialist Gregory Pason 2,490 0.1% +0.0%
Majority 203,068 9.0%
Turnout 2,250,070
Democratic hold Swing 3.26%

References

  1. ↑ Isherwood, Darryl (8 November 2013). "Democrats continue to savage Kean". NJ.com. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  2. ↑ Lizza, Ryan (14 April 2014). "CROSSING CHRISTIE". New Yorker. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  3. ↑ Staff. "10 Things to Know About Tom Kean", The Star-Ledger, April 10, 2015. Accessed November 23, 2016.
  4. ↑ Staff. "WEDDINGS; Dorian Drees, Reed Kean", The New York Times, December 10, 2000. Accessed November 23, 2016.
  5. ↑ Chen, David W. "A Kean on the Ballot? What Else Is New?", The New York Times, September 16, 2006. Accessed February 24, 2011. "As he grew up at the family homestead in Livingston, the younger Mr. Kean said he was most impressed with the reception that his father received in the community."
  6. 1 2 Senator Thomas H. Kean Jr. legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed April 17, 2008.
  7. ↑ Chen, David W. "For Menendez and Kean, a Fierce First Debate", The New York Times, June 26, 2006. Accessed March 7, 2008. "Then, a few minutes later, the most dramatic exchange occurred when Mr. Kean sought to contrast his own background and record in Westfield, a wealthy suburb, with Mr. Menendez's in Hudson County."
  8. ↑ "2000 Primary Election Results -- U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF). New Jersey Division of Elections. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  9. ↑ Bowman, Bill. "Ex-governor's son swims upstream", Asbury Park Press, September 27, 2003. Accessed April 17, 2008. "Kean, who was appointed to the Assembly in March 2001 upon the resignation of the late Alan Augustine, won re-election in 2001. He was appointed to his 21st District Senate seat earlier this year after the resignation of Richard H. Bagger."
  10. ↑ Senator Tom Kean, Jr., New Jersey Senate Republicans. Accessed November 23, 2016.
  11. ↑ Unofficial List - Candidates for US Senate - For June 2006 Primary Election, dated June 7, 2006
  12. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/NJ/ Election Results 2006 for US Senate: NJ, CNN.com, November 8, 2006.
  13. ↑ http://www.hallnj.org/virtualdebate06/kean_response4.jsp
  14. ↑ http://www.tomkean.com/issues/index.cfm?sec=5&subsec=8
  15. ↑ http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2004/Bills/S2500/2145_I1.HTM
  16. ↑ http://ga0.org/freedom_action/alert-description.tcl?alert_id=2000334
  17. ↑ http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200881228024
  18. ↑ "Official List Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/05/2015 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. December 4, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  19. ↑ Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2011 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 14, 2011. Accessed June 22, 2012.
  20. ↑ Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2007 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 3, 2007. Accessed June 22, 2012.
  21. ↑ Official List: Candidates for US Senate For November 2006 General Election, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Elections, dated December 4, 2006. Accessed September 26, 2007.
New Jersey General Assembly
Preceded by
Alan Augustine		 Member of the New Jersey Assembly
from the 22nd district
2001–2002
Served alongside: Rich Bagger		 Succeeded by
Jerry Green
Preceded by
Joel Weingarten		 Member of the New Jersey Assembly
from the 21st district
2002–2003
Served alongside: Eric Munoz		 Succeeded by
Jon Bramnick
New Jersey Senate
Preceded by
Rich Bagger		 Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 21st district
2003–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Leonard Lance		 Minority Leader of the New Jersey Senate
2008–present
Party political offices
Preceded by
Bob Franks		 Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from New Jersey
(Class 1)
2006 		Succeeded by
Joe Kyrillos
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