Incumbent Thomas Kean Jr. (R), Susan Altman (D), Andrew Black (G), and Lana Leguia (L) are running in the general election for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District on November 5, 2024.

Politico’s Matt Friedman called the contest “the most competitive major race in the state.” Kean is one of 19 Republicans who represent districts that voted for Biden in 2020.

Party control of the district has gone back and forth in recent cycles. Republican Leonard Lance (R) represented the district for a decade before former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D) won the election in 2018. Kean ran against Malinowski in 2020 and lost 50.6%-49.4%. Kean defeated Malinowski 51.4%-48.6% in 2022 following redistricting.

Kean worked for the Environmental Protection Agency during the George H. W. Bush administration and as a staffer for former U.S. Rep. Bob Franks (R). He was a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician and was the vice president of a fire department. He served in both the New Jersey General Assembly and the state Senate.

Kean is the grandson of former U.S. Rep. Robert Kean and son of former Gov. Thomas H. Kean, Sr. Kean’s campaign website stated, “As the representative for more than 775,000 New Jersey residents, Tom is focused on keeping costs low for families, improving access to care, supporting a robust and reliable infrastructure, boosting innovation at home, and helping students reach their top potential.”

Altman played college and professional basketball before becoming a teacher and a basketball coach. She was the executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, which her campaign website described as “a non-profit organization focused primarily on combating political corruption in Trenton.”

Altman is running an anti-corruption platform. Her first campaign advertisement, “The Corruption Crew,” detailed her previous work. Altman said she supported overturning Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Her campaign website stated, “The corruption tax is NJ’s biggest tax. It’s unseen but pervasive. New Jersey has more than enough money to restore parks, fund our schools, and pave the roads, but when the politically connected have their hands in the public coffers, the public gets the short end of the stick.”

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an issue in the race. In February 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos could be considered children under state law. Following the ruling, Altman released a statement saying Kean “can’t be trusted to stand up to the extremists targeting reproductive rights.” Kean responded, “I will continue advocating for policies that protect IVF. … My record on this issue is clear and so are Sue Altman’s dishonest intentions.” In August 2024, Kean introduced the IVF for Families Act, which would provide income tax credits for treatment. Altman criticized Kean on X for not supporting an existing IVF bill in Congress.

New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District is one of 34 congressional districts with a Republican incumbent or an open seat the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is targeting in 2024. To read about DCCC targeting initiatives, click here. For a complete list of DCCC targeted districts, click here.