Rep. Tom Kean Jr. is deploying his most popular political asset in New Jersey’s most competitive House race: his father, former Gov. Tom Kean Sr., who remains the Garden State’s most beloved chief executive decades after leaving office.
The younger Kean faces Democratic challenger Rebecca Bennett in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, one of the nation’s top battleground seats. His new 30-second ad features his father delivering a direct pitch to voters about his son’s character and record on entitlement programs.
“You watch your children grow and wonder, ‘Who will they become?’ I couldn’t be prouder of my son Tom,” Kean Sr. says in the spot. “He cares about people. That’s why he worked to protect Medicare and Medicaid for every New Jersey senior, child, and disabled person.”
Why the Elder Kean Still Matters
Tom Kean Sr., who served as governor from 1982 to 1990, is political gold in New Jersey. A 2024 Fairleigh Dickinson University poll named the Republican the “Best Remembered Governor” in state history. Pollster Dan Cassino said Kean Sr. “was popular when he was in office, and remains popular now.”
That popularity matters in a district where every vote counts. Kean Jr. won his seat in a close race and now defends it in a year when control of the House could flip on a handful of contests nationwide.
The Congressman’s Health Absence
Kean Jr. took a prolonged absence from the House floor this spring while battling depression. Since returning to Congress, he’s ramped up campaign activity, appearing with House Speaker Mike Johnson and now leveraging his father’s enduring appeal to Garden State voters.
The ad focuses on Kean Jr.’s work protecting Medicare and Medicaid, programs critical to New Jersey’s older residents and disabled population. “He’s never going to stop fighting, advocating, and serving those in need,” the former governor says. “That’s what drives him, makes him a leader we can all be proud of.”
The race will test whether family legacy and constituent service can overcome the headwinds facing Republicans in blue-leaning New Jersey districts.
Key Points
- Rep. Tom Kean Jr. features his father, former Gov. Tom Kean Sr., in new campaign ad for New Jersey’s 7th District
- Kean Sr. remains New Jersey’s most popular governor decades after leaving office in 1990
- The younger Kean returned to campaigning after spring absence for depression treatment
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4709583/former-governor-tom-kean-stumps-son-new-jersey-house-race-ad/ – September 02, 2026
