Thomas Kean, Jr.

Counties. On November 8, 2007 he was elected to serve as Minority Leader of the Senate. He was sworn in on January 8, 2008.

Biography

Kean is the son of Thomas Kean, who was a popular Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990 and is even better known as the Chairman of the 9/11 Commission following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

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 is currently completing his doctoral dissertation in international relations. He is a former aide to former Congressman Bob Franks and was 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. [Chen, David W. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/26/nyregion/26debate.html?scp=1&sq=kean+westfield&st=nyt "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."]

Kean was appointed to the New Jersey 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 then was elected to a full term in the Assembly in his own right in November 2001. [Bowman, Bill. [http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030927/NEWS/70821078 "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."] 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. [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=220 Senator Thomas H. Kean Jr. legislative web page] , New Jersey Legislature. Accessed April 17, 2008.]

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 only twenty-four elected officials from across the USA to be chosen as a distinguished Aspen Rodel Fellow in Public Service. In 2002, Kean was named one of forty 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.

New Jersey District 21

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 21st District for the 2008-2009 Legislative Session are:
*Assemblyman Jon Bramnick, and
*Assemblyman Eric Munoz

Municipalities in the district include: Berkeley Heights Township, Chatham Township, Cranford Township, Garwood Borough, Harding Township, Long Hill Township, Madison Borough, Millburn Township, Mountainside Borough, New Providence Borough, Roselle Park Borough, Springfield Township, Summit City, Warren Township, Watchung Borough and Westfield Town.

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 current 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. [ [http://www.state.nj.us/lps/elections/2006results/06primaryelection/2006-pri-elect-senate-results.pdf Unofficial List - Candidates for US Senate - For June 2006 Primary Election] , dated June 7, 2006]

He lost the general election to Menendez 53%-45%. The New Jersey Senate race was the closest victory for a Democratic incumbent in the country. [ [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/NJ/ http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/NJ/ Election Results 2006 for US Senate: NJ] , CNN.com, November 8, 2006.]

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

tate Senate

Common-Sense Plan for a More Affordable New Jersey

Senate Republican Leader Tom 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. [http://www.senatenj.com/plan/]

Ethics

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

Economic Growth

Legislation sponsored by Senator Kean will make New Jersey a leader in private sector economic growth. [http://www.senatenj.com/index.php/tomkean/kean-put-economic-development-at-the-top-of-new-jerseys-agenda/450] [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Iqh-_TR9Q]

Healthcare

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. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS02-EABLQQ] [http://www.hallnj.org/virtualdebate06/kean_response4.jsp]

Alternative Energy

Kean is promoting a four point plan to make New Jersey a leader in alternative fuel development. [http://www.tomkean.com/issues/index.cfm?sec=5&subsec=8]

References

External links

* [http://www.tomkean.com Tom Kean, Jr. Official website] .
* [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=220 Senator Thomas H. Kean Jr. legislative web page] , New Jersey Legislature
*"New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms"
** [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/KeanT2007.pdf 2007] [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/KeanT2006.pdf 2006] [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/KeanT2005.pdf 2005] [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/KeanT2004.pdf 2004]
* [http://www.nj21.com/ District 21 Candidates website Kean (Senate), Bramnick & Munoz (Assembly)] .
* [http://tomkean.senatenj.com Thomas Kean Jr. New Jersey State Senate Press Releases] .
* [http://tomkean.com/today/index.cfm?e=user.media.overview&viewall=inthepress Thomas Kean Jr. U.S. Senatorial Candidacy Press Releases] .
* [http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2006/10/2705_the_new_jersey.html "The New Jersey X Factor"] , "Mother Jones" magazine, October 30, 2006.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD24VE6P2z0&feature=related Thomas Kean, Jr. campaign advertisement, version one] .
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwXOtIEFShg Thomas Kean, Jr. campaign advertisement, version two] .
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQQbecRtXQk&feature=related Robert Menendez campaign advertisement opposing Thomas Kean, Jr., version one] .
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap_X_rBKbJQ&feature=related Robert Menendez campaign advertisement opposing Thomas Kean, Jr., version two] .
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXtnIf7dUME Thomas Kean, Jr. refuses to answer Iraq War questions from JoAnn Sohl, mother of Iraq soldier, at CBS 2, New York City] .