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Candidate record

Thomas H. Kean Jr.

Current U.S. representative for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, in his second term. Campaign affiliation: Republican.

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Voter guide

Background, stated goals, record, and money

Background comes from official records, and from the campaign's own biography where the bullet says so; goals are summarized from the campaign's own platform and stay attributed; the record lines are official actions with the government source attached; money is shown as filed, with the filing window and the reconciliation in the note under the table, and is not evidence of why any position was taken.

Thomas H. Kean Jr.

Background

  • The sitting member for the 7th District, in his second term; Congress.gov records two terms, the first beginning in 2023. He was re-elected in 2024 with 223,331 votes to Sue Altman's 200,025. Congress.gov, New Jersey Division of Elections
  • Sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee, as his campaign says and the Clerk's member file confirms. Kean for Congress Inc, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives
  • His campaign says he served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2001 and then in the state Senate, for 14 years as its Republican leader, and that he is the son of former Governor Thomas H. Kean. Kean for Congress Inc

What they say they want to do

  • A lower cost of living, protected health care, stronger communities, and an America strong at home and abroad. Kean for Congress Inc
  • Full restoration of the state and local tax deduction, which his congressional site calls one of his most important priorities. Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.
  • Lower drug prices, coverage for pre-existing conditions, an end to surprise billing, and wider telemedicine. Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.
  • Lower federal debt and deficits, through cutting duplicative programs and wasteful spending. Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.
  • Transit investment, including the Gateway Project through public-private partnership. Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.

What the official record shows

  • May 22, 2025 Voted Yea on passage of H.R. 1, the 2025 reconciliation act, and Aye on the final House vote on July 3. It became Public Law 119-21, which raised the cap on the SALT deduction from 10,000 to 40,000 dollars through 2029. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov
  • Sep 2, 2025 His Undersea Cable Control Act, H.R. 2503, passed the House by voice vote and went to the Senate. Congress.gov
  • Sep 4, 2025 Became an original cosponsor of the Bipartisan Premium Tax Credit Extension Act, H.R. 5145, which would extend the enhanced marketplace health-insurance credits. It remains in committee. Congress.gov
  • Jan 8, 2026 Voted Yea on the motion to discharge and then on passage of H.R. 1834, which as passed extends the enhanced premium tax credits through 2028. It passed 230 to 196 and awaits the Senate. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov
  • Jun 30, 2026 Was recorded Not Voting on 142 consecutive roll calls, from March 17 to June 29, 2026, after last voting on March 5. On his return on June 30 he told the House a depression diagnosis and a hospital stay had kept him away. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congressional Record, GovInfo

Campaign money from other committees, by type

Transfers and contributions from joint fundraising committees 10 committees$1,715,451
Corporation PACs 100 committees$301,000
Leadership PACs 68 committees$301,000
Trade Association PACs 52 committees$155,000
House 56 committees$131,977
PAC - Qualified 31 committees$93,500
Membership Organization PACs 27 committees$85,500
Labor Organization PACs 14 committees$56,000
Committees the FEC records no type for 6 committees$20,898
Corporation w/o capital stock PACs 2 committees$13,500
Party committees 1 committee$5,000
Hybrid PAC (with Non-Contribution Account) - Qualified 1 committee$5,000
PAC - Nonqualified 1 committee$2,000
Communication Cost 1 committee$1,000

Source: Federal Election Commission

Money from committees in the 2025-2026 cycle filings through June 30, 2026: lines 11B (party committees), 11C (other political committees) and 12 (transfers from joint fundraising committees), grouped by the FEC's record of the contributing committee. Memo entries are left out because they restate money counted elsewhere. Each line's itemized rows add up to the campaign's own filed total for that line. The rows sum to 2,886,826.14 dollars, which is part of what the campaign raised and not its total. Donations individuals made through ActBlue or WinRed are individual contributions and are not in this table. The joint fundraising row includes 23,051.56 dollars reported on line 11C from committees the FEC designates as joint fundraising committees.

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Words and record

Where statements meet the record

Each card is labeled narrowly, by rule, and states its own limit.

Thomas H. Kean Jr.

Taxes: restoring the SALT deduction

Matches stated direction

What they say

His congressional site calls restoring the full state and local tax deduction one of his most important priorities, and says he cosponsored the SALT Deductibility Act.

“One of my most important priorities in Congress is to restore the full State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction.”

Source: Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.

What the record shows · Jul 4, 2025

He is an original cosponsor of H.R. 430, the SALT Deductibility Act, which would repeal the cap; it has not left committee. He voted Yea on passage of H.R. 1 on May 22, 2025 (Roll Call 145) and Aye on the final House vote on July 3 (Roll Call 190). The law, Public Law 119-21, raises the cap from 10,000 dollars to 40,000 for 2025, rising one per cent a year through 2029. It shrinks by 30 per cent of income above 500,000 dollars, never below 10,000, and returns to 10,000 dollars in 2030. In the previous Congress he cosponsored three SALT bills, H.R. 2555, H.R. 160 and H.R. 7160, and voted Aye on the rule to bring H.R. 7160 to the floor, which failed on February 14, 2024 (Roll Call 48).

Sources: Congress.gov, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives

Limit: He sponsored no SALT bill of his own in either Congress, and his votes went the way the claim says. The law he voted for raised the cap and kept it; that is not the full restoration his page names, and the higher cap ends after 2029. His office's claim that he "led the fight" is not something a vote record can measure.

Thomas H. Kean Jr.

Health care: protecting coverage

Not comparable yet

What they say

His campaign says he is working to protect healthcare.

“working to lower the cost of living, protect healthcare, strengthen our communities, and ensure America is strong at home and around the world”

Source: Kean for Congress Inc

What the record shows · Jan 8, 2026

His record runs both ways. He voted for H.R. 1 twice in 2025 (Roll Calls 145 and 190); the law requires states to set Medicaid work requirements for certain adults (section 71119) and makes other eligibility changes. He is an original cosponsor of two bipartisan health-insurance bills, the Bipartisan Premium Tax Credit Extension Act (H.R. 5145) and the Bipartisan Health Insurance Affordability Act (H.R. 6501), neither of which has left committee. On January 7 and 8, 2026 he voted to discharge and then to pass H.R. 1834, which extends those credits through 2028; it passed 230 to 196 and awaits the Senate. He has also sponsored health bills of his own, among them the HELP Copays Act (H.R. 6423), with Democratic original cosponsors, the Mental Health Parity Enforcement and Funding Act (H.R. 9551) and the Medicare Premiums Reduction Act of 2026 (H.R. 9709); none has left committee.

Sources: Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov

Limit: "Protect healthcare" names no measure, so there is nothing specific to hold the record against. His votes to extend the marketplace credits go the way the claim points; his votes for a law that tightens Medicaid eligibility go the other way. How many people either change covers is an estimate, not a record, and this card does not score it.

Thomas H. Kean Jr.

Working with both parties

Matches stated direction

What they say

His campaign says he brings both sides together to find common-sense solutions.

“I bring both sides together to find common-sense solutions that help New Jersey families succeed”

Source: Kean for Congress Inc

What the record shows · Sep 10, 2026

In the 119th Congress, through September 10, 2026, he sponsored 36 bills and resolutions. Twenty had at least one Democrat as an original cosponsor, among them the HELP Copays Act (H.R. 6423), the One Seat Ride Act (H.R. 1478) and the Promoting United States Wireless Leadership Act (H.R. 1765); sixteen had none. Three passed the House, one of them (H.R. 1765) with a Democratic original cosponsor, and none has become law under its own number. In the 118th Congress he sponsored the Fire Grants and Safety Act (H.R. 4090) with five Democratic original cosponsors; its text was enacted word for word as Division A of Public Law 118-67 in July 2024, and he voted for the bill that carried it.

Sources: Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov / GovInfo, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives

Limit: Signing up a member of the other party at introduction is one signal of bipartisan work, and a weak one: it costs little and says nothing about how he votes when the parties split. His votes on party-line measures are not scored here. His other 118th-Congress bills were not counted, and his 119th-Congress bills were checked for enactment under their own numbers, not searched clause by clause through every law enacted since.

Thomas H. Kean Jr.

Money for local projects

Matches stated record claim

What they say

His campaign says that in his two terms his office has secured 38 million dollars in investments for local projects.

“has secured $38 million in investments for local projects in our communities”

Source: Kean for Congress Inc

What the record shows · Apr 30, 2026

The enacted explanatory statements and the Appropriations Committee's final tables list 28 community projects with him as House requester. Thirteen are fiscal 2024 projects totalling 24,974,669 dollars: 21,815,414 in Public Law 118-42 and 3,159,255 in Public Law 118-47. Fifteen are fiscal 2026 projects totalling 13,851,394 dollars, in Public Laws 119-37, 119-74, 119-75 and 119-86. Together that is 38,826,063 dollars, the same as his office's releases. Fiscal 2025 was funded by a full-year continuing resolution, Public Law 119-4, which gave the fiscal 2024 earmarks no legal effect.

Sources: House Committee on Appropriations, Congressional Record, GovInfo, Congressional Record, GovInfo, Congressional Record, GovInfo, GovInfo, Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr., Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr., Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.

Limit: Community project funding is requested by a member and enacted by Congress as a whole; "secured" is the member's word for having requested a project that was funded, and a few of these rows also name a senator. The fiscal 2024 figures come from the committee's final tables, because the statement for those acts prints its tables as images. The same sentence of his biography says his office returned 61 million dollars to residents through casework, which no official source publishes for any member; that figure is not judged here.

Thomas H. Kean Jr.

Defense: a strong military

Matches stated direction

What they say

His congressional site says the country must keep a strong military, that he supports giving service members the resources they need, and that he is committed to deterring adversaries.

“I support providing our servicemembers with the key resources they need to be successful in their missions.”

Source: Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.

What the record shows · Mar 26, 2026

He voted for the defense authorization bill on its final House vote each year: fiscal 2024 on December 14, 2023 (Roll Call 723), fiscal 2025 on December 11, 2024 (Roll Call 500) and fiscal 2026 on December 10, 2025 (Roll Call 320). All three became law, as Public Laws 118-31, 118-159 and 119-60. On April 20, 2024 he voted for the Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific security funding bills (Roll Calls 151, 152 and 146). Their text became law together in H.R. 815, Public Law 118-50. He sponsored two bills to sanction Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear company: H.R. 8046 in 2024 and H.R. 8106 in 2026. Neither has become law.

Sources: Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov, GovInfo, Congress.gov, Congress.gov

Limit: A defense bill covers far more than troops' pay and equipment, and a vote for it is a vote for the whole bill. Whether the spending deters adversaries is not something a vote record can show.

Thomas H. Kean Jr.

Energy: more American production

Matches stated direction

What they say

His congressional site backs an all-of-the-above energy policy to raise domestic production and lower costs, and says he has spent his public life protecting the environment.

“I support an “all-the-above” energy policy to boost domestic energy production”

Source: Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.

What the record shows · Dec 12, 2025

He voted for the Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1) on March 30, 2023 (Roll Call 182); it passed the House 225 to 204 and did not become law. On December 12, 2025 he voted for the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act (H.R. 3668, Roll Call 334), which passed the House. He voted for the 2025 tax law, Public Law 119-21 (Roll Calls 145 and 190). It orders at least 30 oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of America through 2040. It also ends the clean electricity production and investment credits for wind and solar projects placed in service after 2027, unless construction began within a year of the law. He sponsored a study of the Upper Raritan River for wild and scenic status (H.R. 5852) and is an original cosponsor of a bill renewing the Delaware River Basin restoration program (H.R. 1304). Neither has left committee.

Sources: Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Congress.gov

Limit: His votes went the way his page points on domestic production. The same law also cuts off credits for new wind and solar projects, which runs against the "all-the-above" part.

Thomas H. Kean Jr.

Spending: cutting wasteful spending

Matches stated direction

What they say

His congressional site says the country must get its fiscal house in order and address the debt and deficit, starting by cutting duplicative programs and wasteful spending.

“We can start by eliminating duplicative programs, living within our nation’s means, and cutting wasteful spending.”

Source: Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.

What the record shows · Jul 24, 2025

He voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act on April 26, 2023 (Roll Call 199); it passed the House 217 to 215 and did not become law. He voted for the Fiscal Responsibility Act on May 31, 2023 (Roll Call 243). That law, Public Law 118-5, capped discretionary spending for fiscal 2024 and 2025 and suspended the debt limit until January 1, 2025. On June 12, 2025 he voted for the Rescissions Act (H.R. 4, Roll Call 168), and on July 18 for the rule that accepted the Senate's changes to it (Roll Call 203). It became Public Law 119-28 and cancelled money already approved for foreign aid and public broadcasting. The 2025 tax law he voted for, Public Law 119-21 (Roll Calls 145 and 190), raised the debt limit by 5 trillion dollars.

Sources: Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov

Limit: Whether any of these laws lowers the deficit is an estimate, not a record, and this card does not score it. Two of them raised or suspended the debt limit.

Thomas H. Kean Jr.

Transit: the district's transportation problems

Matches stated direction

What they say

His congressional site calls the district's transportation problems, from road congestion to strained commuter rail and poor internet service, one of his top priorities.

“The Seventh District of New Jersey is home to some of the most unique transportation challenges in the country and helping solve them is one of my top priorities.”

Source: Office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean, Jr.

What the record shows · Sep 21, 2026

He sponsored the One Seat Ride Act (H.R. 1478) in February 2025, with Rep. Watson Coleman as original cosponsor. It would have the Transportation Department study the costs and benefits of peak-hour trips on NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line with no change of trains. It has not left committee. He sponsored a broadband bill, H.R. 5419, which the House passed by voice vote on March 3, 2026. He voted for the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 on May 15, 2024 (Roll Call 200); it became Public Law 118-63. He is an original cosponsor of the Lower Commuting Costs Act (H.R. 10511), introduced September 21, 2026, which would create a tax deduction of up to $4,080 a year for commuting costs.

Sources: Congress.gov, Congress.gov, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Congress.gov, Congress.gov

Limit: The One Seat Ride Act only orders a study, and it has not had a vote. His page also backs the Gateway Project; this card does not score that.

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Issues in this record

Follow the evidence by issue.

Costs and taxesHealth careForeign policy and defenseEnergy and the environmentThe national debt and federal spendingTransit and infrastructure

Evidence timeline

Dated records, with sources attached.

  1. Occurred Sep 4, 2026

    race event

    Official candidate list: three printed candidates

    The state's revised official list and amended certification print three candidates: Kean, Bennett and O'Toole. The Stated Record checked both on September 23, 2026.

    New Jersey Division of Elections New Jersey Division of Elections
  2. Occurred Jul 27, 2026

    race event

    Official candidate list: four candidates

    The Division of Elections' official list printed four candidates for this seat: Kean, Bennett, Leguía and O'Toole.

    New Jersey Division of Elections
  3. Through Jun 30, 2026

    finance

    FEC filing snapshot

    July Quarterly 2026, principal campaign committee KEAN FOR CONGRESS INC.

    Federal Election Commission
  4. Occurred Jun 2, 2026

    race event

    Primary election

    Kean won the Republican nomination with 35,080 votes and Bennett the Democratic nomination with 27,525.

    New Jersey Division of Elections

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