Tom Kean Jr. has secured re-election in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District and defeated De⭕mocratic challenger Sue Altman in a highly competitive race.
With a 🐽campaign focused on taxes, public safety, and national issues like supporting Ukraine and Israel, Kean resonated💙 with voters in this swing district.
With som🍸e added drama, like mailers being dumped, it was a race full of twists and turns.
Here’s what happened and why it’s important.
- Tom Kean Jr. won re-election by focusing on taxes, safety, and national issues like supporting Ukraine and Israel.
- Restoring the SALT deduction was a big promise that grabbed voters’ attention in this high-tax district.
- A campaign flier controversy involving dumped mailers added a dramatic twist, but Kean still won.
Kean Jr.’s Victory in a Tight Race
Tom Kean Jr., a Republican, won re-elec💮tion in New Jersey’𝐆s 7th Congressional District, b🎀eating Democrat Sue Altman in a h🎃ard-fought contest.
With a five-point lead by 10🦄:45 p.m., Kean declared victory.
Shortly after, Altman conceded.
“We had a message that resonated with voters: affordability, restoring the SALT deduction, standing with Ukraine, standing with Israel, energy independence, having the back of cops, and securing our southern border,” Kean said after his win.
That message incl🐓uded fixing taxes, 𒉰public safety, and national security, all of which hit home for many people in the district.
Why Did People Vote for Kean?
1. The SALT Deduction Problem
One of the bigges✨t issues in this election was the SALT deduction cap.
A new federal tax law limited the amount people could deduct from their state and local property taxes to $10,000 ♛in 2017.
In high-tax are🐠as like New J𝕴ersey, this has been a huge burden for homeowners.
Kean promised to push for removing the SALT cap, which ma✱ny voters loved.
This tax issue affects many people in the district, where property taxes can easily exceed 𝔍the $10,000 limit.
Trumpജ, who introduced ♌the SALT cap, has said he would lift it if he runs for president again, and the current cap expires next year anyway.
But ꦕfor now, Kean’s promise to fix this hit the right note with voters.
2. Crime and Public Safety
Crime is always a top concern.
Kean leaned hard into reducing crime and backin✨g law enꦰforcement.
He promised to “have the backs of cops,” and that message stuck with vot𝓀ers who prioritized safety.
Meanwhile, Altman focused on gun control and tackling violence but didn’t ಞmake as much of a spla𝕴sh with this crowd.
3. The Kean Family Legacy
If the name “Kean” sounds familiar, it’s because Tom Kean Jr. comes from a well-🐭known political family.
His father, Tom Kean Sr.,🍷 was a two-terꦗm governor and is still one of New Jersey’s most respected leaders.
And 🐭having a name that voters trust gave Kean Jr. a big a𝕴dvantage.
Sue Altman’s Campaign: Fighting for Change
Sue Alꦍtman ran a strong campaign focusing on progressive ꦺissues like abortion rights and gun control.
She highlighted protecting reproductive rights, which resonated with many voters, especially after national debates on t𝔍he issueꦗ.
But Altman faced some hurdles.
Old social media posts wher🔯e she used a “defund the police” hashtag came back♉ to haunt her.
She distanced herself fromꦦ those posts, but Kean’s campaign used them to paint her as extreme, likely hurting her chances.
Campaign Drama: The Mailer Dumpster Incident
Both campaigns sent tons of mailﷺers and ran ads throughout the district.
But things got heated when a vid🀅eo showed someone throwing hundreds 🍒of Kean’s mail flyers into a dumpster in Pennsylvania.
The U.S. Po꧟stal Service quickly 🐭launched an investigation, but the damage was done.
Kean called it “deeply troubling” and said it raised concerns about election integrityꦿ.
While it didn’t seem to affect the results, it added some extra drama t👍o an already intense race.
Did Redistricting Play a Role?
This district has always been competitive, but redistricting after the 2020 Census made it slightly more Republic🗹an-leaning.
In 20ℱ22, Kean flipped the seat red by narrowly defeating Democratic incumbent Tom Malinowski, who admitted that the new lines gave Republicans an edge.
The district includes su👍burban areas near New York City and more rural western parts of the🐎 state.
While there are slightly more Republicans than Democrats in the district, it’s still a 🤪swing district that voted for Biden in 2020 by over three points.
What’s Next for NJ-7?
With Kean back in office, voters will watch to see if he keeps his promises, especially on taxes and puꩲblic safety.
His win also hel🌳ps Republicans ho𓆉ld onto their narrow control of the House of Representatives.
Altman’s campaign may not ha𒊎ve won, but it brought attention to important issues like abortion rights and gun control.
Her strong showing suggests we ha🍸ven’t seen the last of her.
Final Thoughts: A Race to Remember
Tom Kean Jr.’s victory wasn’t just about winn🦄ing a seat but addressing what mattered most to voters.
Whether fixing the SALT cap, keeping commun♛ities safe, or advocating for national issues, Kean struck a chord with the district.
At the same time🍷, Sue Altman’s campaign showed ဣthe power of progressive ideas, even in a swing district.
The NJ-7 race ♒reminded us how much e✃very vote and every issue matters.
It’ll be exciting to see what𒐪 comes next 🐼for this key district in New Jersey!
