STATEMENT: Tom Kean Votes for MAGA Extremist Jim Jordan for House Speaker

Lambertville, NJ — Today, following Rep. Tom Kean’s vote for Jim Jordan for House Speaker, Jason Blazakis, former national security official and candidate for NJ-07, released the following statement.

“Tom Kean’s vote for Jim Jordan as Speaker shows who he truly is. Kean’s vote enables the far-right fringes of the Republican party and follows the marching orders of the disgraced former president, Donald Trump. From attempting to overturn the 2020 election to refusing essential aid for 9/11 victims to supporting a national abortion ban, Jim Jordan is one of the most extreme, least bipartisan members of Congress and this vote represents a deeply problematic shift in the GOP. After weeks of dysfunction, Tom Kean was unable to deliver and caved to the MAGA extremists in his party, leaving our country and New Jerseyans to pay the price.”

About Jason Blazakis

Jason Blazakis is a Warren County native who spent his career as a national security official fighting for democracy and America’s national security against extremists. He held his first job picking peaches and strawberries on a western Jersey farm and put himself through college with the help of Pell Grants and student loans. His experience of being in both New York City and Washington, DC on 9/11 led him to a career in national security.

In 2004, Jason joined the State Department. He worked in Afghanistan, where he headed the U.S. Embassy’s narcotics affairs section that fought the Taliban’s heroin operations. He spent a decade with the State Department, primarily working in counterterrorism.

Jason grew up in Harmony Township and attended Belvidere High School. His dad worked at the New Jersey Army National Guard throughout Jason’s childhood, instilling the values of hard work and public service in him.

After college, Jason attended graduate school while working as an aide in Congress, helping draft bills like the Holocaust Awareness Act.

Currently, Jason is a Professor of Practice, and teaches the next generation of policymakers to counter violent extremism and mis- and disinformation. Notably, he was recently sanctioned by Vladimir Putin for speaking out against the illegal war against Ukraine.

Throughout his career, Jason has never forgotten his days picking fruit on the farm. He knows firsthand that the dignity of hard work and the financial security it brings is just as critical to our safety as national security. He has always fought to keep Americans safe and will keep up the fight for us in Congress. He currently lives in Lambertville with his partner, Lisa.