Sierra Club on Tom Kean, Jr. Leaving the Senate

Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. (R-21) has announced that he will not seek reelection to the State Senate. Senator Kean served in the NJ General Assembly from 2001 until 2003 and has served as a State Senator since 2003.

“Senator Tom Kean, Jr. is retiring from the New Jersey State Senate at the end of this term. He is the classic example of what has happened to the Republican Party. As they have moved more and more to the right, they’ve gotten worse on the environment. Since they’ve politicized the environment, they now oppose what they may at one time have supported,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Tom was originally independent and cared about the environment, but then he started to follow the Christe agenda on the environment. He has voted against RGGI, voted against upholding the Paris Climate Accord, against EV Charging Infrastructure, against rejoining NJ to the U.S Climate Alliance, and against legislation that would set a goal for New Jersey to reach 80% renewable energy by 2050.”

Senator Tom Kean, Jr. has been silent on the PennEast pipeline, although he has voted to favor the pipeline. During his 2020 run for Congress, he was also endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce is one of the biggest lobbyist groups for polluters. They supported many of President Trump’s rollbacks on the environment. Senator Kean, Jr. also has shown support for Trump in the past, including attending his Wildwood rally in New Jersey.

“Tom Kean, Jr. supported Trump’s war on the environment. He showed his true stripes when he ran for Congress and was endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is a major PennEast supporter. He voted against a bill that would urge Commissioner Martin to deny a critical water permit for the PennEast Pipeline. He also voted against a bill that would rescind DEP’s septic system standards that would threaten the Highlands,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Fifteen years ago, Tom had a pro-environment agenda. Now he has moved to be in lockstep with the Republican Party. This is an opportunity for the 21st district to elect a true environmental champion who will fight to protect their clean air and clean water.”