Jeff Van Drew

Last updated

Ricarda Van Drew
​
(m. 1974)​
Jeff Van Drew
Congressman Jeff Van Drew.jpg
Member of the U.S.HouseofRepresentatives
from New Jersey's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Children2
Education Rutgers University, New Brunswick (BS)
Fairleigh Dickinson University (DMD)
Website House website

Jefferson H. Van Drew (born February 23, 1953) [4] is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 2nd congressional district since 2019. Formerly a Democrat, he has been a member of the Republican Party since 2020.

Contents

Before being elected to Congress, Van Drew held several public offices, including fire commissioner, town committee member, Mayor of Dennis Township, New Jersey, and Cape May County Freeholder. He represented New Jersey's 1st legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2002 to 2008, and represented the same district in the New Jersey Senate from 2008 to 2018.

Van Drew was the Democratic nominee in New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the 2018 election. He was elected with 52.9% of the vote to Republican Seth Grossman's 45.2%. After opposing the first impeachment of Donald Trump, Van Drew joined the Republican Party shortly afterward. He was reelected in 2020, defeating Democratic challenger Amy Kennedy. Van Drew later supported the unsuccessful attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election.

Early life, education, and career

Van Drew was born in New York City. He graduated with a B.S. from Rutgers University and received a D.M.D. degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. [5]

Van Drew operated a dental practice in South Jersey for 30 years before retiring. [6]

Early political career

Van Drew served on the Dennis Township Committee in 1991, and as mayor from 1994 to 1995 and from 1997 to 2003. He served on the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1994 to 1997 and from 2000 to 2002. [7] He was a Dennis Township Fire Commissioner from 1983 to 1986. [5]

In 1994, as a Cape May County Freeholder, Van Drew made support for a local community college a major campaign issue. In 2002, ground was broken on the site of the future Atlantic Cape Community College campus in Cape May County. [8]

Van Drew was a member of the Democratic Party while a local officeholder. [9]

New Jersey Legislature

Van Drew represented the 1st Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2002 to 2008. He represented the same district in the New Jersey Senate from 2008 to 2018. [10] [5] [ better source needed ] He was a Democrat during this period. [9]

On November 6, 2007, Van Drew was elected to the New Jersey Senate, defeating Republican incumbent Nicholas Asselta. [11] In November 2011, Van Drew defeated Republican challenger David S. DeWeese, 24,557 votes to 20,857. [12] He was reelected in 2013, defeating Upper Township Republican businesswoman Susan Adelizzi Schmidt by 20 points. [13]

For the 2018–19 session, Van Drew served in the Senate on the Community and Urban Affairs Committee (as chair), the Military and Veterans' Affairs (as vice chair), the Joint Committee on Housing Affordability and the Intergovernmental Relations Commission. [5] In 2008, he sponsored the Fair Market Drug Pricing Act to establish the "New Jersey Rx Card Program to reduce prescription drug prices." [14]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

Van Drew during the 116th Congress Jeff Van Drew Official Portrait 116th Congress (1).jpg
Van Drew during the 116th Congress

2018

New Jersey's 2nd congressional district had been represented by Republican Frank LoBiondo since 1995, who served 11 terms before announcing his retirement on November 7, 2017. The district is the southernmost in New Jersey and the state's largest by area, encompassing rural farms from Salem County to the Jersey Shore and Atlantic City. President Barack Obama won the district in 2008 and 2012, and President Donald Trump won in 2016. Upon LoBiondo's retirement announcement, The Cook Political Report changed the district's rating in the 2018 midterms from "Safe Republican" to "Toss-Up". [15] [16] [17]

On November 29, 2017, Van Drew announced he would run for the open seat, aiming "to bring economic opportunity and good jobs to South Jersey." [18] Eight county chairs in the district endorsed him, as did New Jersey Democratic leader George Norcross. [17] In February 2018, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee included Van Drew in its Red to Blue program, which provided resources and donors to candidates in districts that were targeted to be flipped from Republican to Democratic. [19] In the June 5 primary, Van Drew faced William Cunningham, Tanzie Youngblood, [15] and Nate Kleinman. [20] Sean Thom dropped out ahead of the primary. [21] As of May 16, Van Drew had raised $412,555 for his campaign. [22] Van Drew won the primary with 55.4% of the vote. The same night, former Atlantic County Freeholder Seth Grossman won the Republican nomination. [23]

After Van Drew's primary win, The Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball changed the district's rating to "Likely Democratic". [24] [25] In the November 6 general election, Van Drew defeated Grossman, 52.9%-45.2%. [26] His district was one of four New Jersey congressional districts to flip from Republican to Democratic in 2018. [27]

2020

In late November 2019, Van Drew vowed that he would remain a Democrat even though he opposed Trump's impeachment. [28] In December 2019, it was reported that Van Drew was considering switching to the Republican Party for the 2020 elections, [29] [30] [31] after internal polling showed his stance against Trump's impeachment imperiled him with Democratic voters in his district. [32] After a private meeting between Van Drew and Trump, [33] most of his senior aides resigned in protest. [34] [35] The planned conversion was met with praise and criticism by members of both parties. [36] [37] After reports that he was planning to switch parties, the Blue Dog Coalition, a caucus of fiscally conservative Democrats, dropped him from their ranks. [38] The Cook Political Report changed the rating for the district from "Toss-up" to "Leans Republican" on December 16. [39] On December 19, Van Drew announced that he would join the Republican Party. [40]

Van Drew hired former Trump administration political director Bill Stepien as a campaign adviser. [41] Van Drew officially switched his party affiliation on January 7, 2020. [42] On January 28, Trump held a rally for Van Drew at the Wildwoods Convention Center, joined by Van Drew, State Senators Chris Brown and Mike Testa, and White House counselor Kellyanne Conway. [43]

After the primary, Van Drew became the Republican nominee and faced Democratic nominee Amy Kennedy. [44] In August 2020, the Cook Political Report rated the congressional race a "toss up". On August 27, Van Drew spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, discussing his discomfort in his relationship with his former Democratic colleagues in the House and why he supported Trump's reelection. [45] Van Drew defeated Kennedy in the general election, 52% to 46%, or by about 20,000 votes. [46]

2022

Van Drew ran for reelection in the 2022 elections. [47] He won the primary with 82% of the vote, defeating two challengers for the Republican nomination. [48] He won the general election with 59.3% of the vote to Democratic nominee Tim Alexander's 39.6%. [49]

2024

On December 8, 2023, Van Drew announced his intention to run for re-election in the 2024 elections. In doing so, he declined running for the U.S. Senate, saying, "I'm humbled that so many of you have asked me to run for U.S. Senate. For a guy from Dennis Township, it's pretty special to be asked to run for one of the highest offices in our land." [50]

Tenure

Van Drew in October 2019 191010-Z-AL508-1009 (48903619138).jpg
Van Drew in October 2019

Van Drew was the first Democrat to represent the district since 1995. [27]

Van Drew said during his campaign that, if elected, he would not support Nancy Pelosi to be the next Speaker of the House. [51] [52] His first vote in Congress was "no" for Speaker which was recorded as "present" under the rules. [53]

In October 2019, he announced that he would oppose the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump. [54] On October 31, 2019, he and Collin Peterson were the only Democrats to vote against the rules for an impeachment inquiry against Trump. [55] [56] He was also one of two Democrats to vote against both articles of impeachment on December 18, 2019, along with Peterson, [57] although it had already been leaked before the vote that he was planning to switch parties. [58]

Before switching parties, Van Drew voted in line with Democrats 89.7% of the time during his tenure in Congress. [59]

On December 19, 2019, Van Drew publicly announced his decision to join the Republican Party, telling Trump that he had his "undying support." As a result, Trump endorsed him for reelection. [60] [40] Van Drew officially switched his party affiliation on January 7, 2020. [42]

In December 2020, Van Drew was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania , [61] a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated Trump, though the filing erroneously placed Van Drew as representing a district in South Carolina. [62] On January 6, 2021, Van Drew was one of 147 Republican lawmakers who objected to the certification of electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol and forced an emergency recess of Congress. [63] Van Drew says he received a death threat from a journalist because of the objection. [64]

On February 4, 2021, Van Drew voted against removing Marjorie Taylor Greene from her positions on the House Budget and the Education and Labor committees over comments she had made and conspiracy theories she had espoused. [65]

In May 2021, Van Drew joined a majority of Republicans who voted to oust Liz Cheney from House Republican leadership, saying, "she is not providing the leadership that would create unity within our caucus and it's very important as we go into the next election, it's very important as we deal with policy issues, that we are unified and we are strong, and I don't think that brand and style of leadership that she used was creating that but rather was splitting people apart." [66]

On November 5, 2021, Van Drew and 12 other House Republicans broke with their party to vote with a majority of Democrats for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. [67]

Political positions

Foreign and defense policy

In September 2021, Van Drew was among 135 House Republicans to vote for the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022, which contains a provision that would require women to register for the draft. [68] [69]

In July 2021, Van Drew voted for the bipartisan ALLIES Act, which would increase by 8,000 the number of special immigrant visas for Afghan allies of the U.S. military during its invasion of Afghanistan, while also reducing some application requirements that caused long application backlogs; the bill passed the House, 407–16. [70] [71]

Van Drew voted against H.R. 7691, the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, which would provide $40 billion in emergency aid to the Ukrainian government. [72]

Van Drew was one of 18 Republicans to vote against Sweden and Finland joining NATO. [73]

LGBT rights

In 2021, Van Drew co-sponsored the Fairness for All Act, the Republican alternative to the Equality Act. [74] The bill would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and protect the free exercise of religion.

In 2021, Van Drew was one of 29 Republicans to vote to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. [75] The bill expanded legal protections for transgender people, and contained provisions allowing transgender women to use women's shelters and serve time in prisons matching their gender identity. [76]

Van Drew was one of 31 Republicans to vote for the LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act. [77]

On July 19, 2022, Van Drew and 46 other Republican representatives voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law. [78] On December 8, 2022, he voted against the final passage of the Respect for Marriage Act as amended by the US Senate. [79] [80] [81]

In 2023, Van Drew sponsored H.R.216, the My Child, My Choice Act, [82] which would revoke federal education funding for schools that do not require teachers to obtain written parental consent before teaching lessons specifically related to gender identity, sexual orientation, or transgender studies, and for other purposes.

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023

Van Drew was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House. [83]

Committee assignments

Current
Former

Caucus memberships

Political positions

In his run for State Senate in 2007, Van Drew remarked, "I'm proud to be a Democrat because to me it always represented working people, middle-class people and issues of compassion." He represented Republican-leaning Cape May County in the assembly, and accordingly took politically moderate positions. [85] He was one of the most conservative Democrats in the state senate. [86] As of January 2021, FiveThirtyEight , which tracks congressional votes, reports that Van Drew voted with Trump 27.5% of the time. [87] During the 116th Congress he voted with Trump's position 25% of the time and in the 117th Congress, he voted with Trump's position 100% of the time. [88] As of November 2022, he had voted with Biden's position in Congress 24% of the time. [89]

During his congressional primary campaign, Van Drew had a 100% rating from the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). [90] In 2007 and 2008, he received $2,700 from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and in 2008, he received $1,000 from the NRA. [91] In 2010, Van Drew sponsored legislation that would allow residents to carry a handgun after going through a background check, taking a firearms training course, passing a test, and paying a $500 fee. [92] In 2013, he was the only Democrat to vote against a series of ten gun control bills after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. [93] Van Drew also voiced support for expanded background checks and the regulation for silencers. Despite his pro-gun stance, the gun-control group Moms Demand Action designated Van Drew a "Gun Sense Candidate". [91]

In 2012, while serving in the State Senate, Van Drew was one of two Democrats to vote against a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in New Jersey. [94] During his 2013 reelection campaign, the socially conservative nonprofit group New Jersey Family First sent out flyers stating that Van Drew "supports traditional marriage and letting the people vote on the definition of marriage", while his Republican opponent Susan Adelizzi Schmidt was supportive of same-sex marriage. [95] In 2022, Van Drew initially voted for the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act; however, he later reversed that position and voted against the final passage of the Respect for Marriage Act as amended by the US Senate. [79] [81]

Also in 2012, Van Drew was the only Democrat to vote against raising the state minimum wage above the federal minimum wage of $7.25. [96] On his campaign website, he highlighted his support for fully funding the Children's Health Insurance Program and protecting net neutrality. [97] Van Drew also supported a state constitutional amendment requiring parental approval for abortions, which he later withdrew. As state senator, he also withdrew sponsorship of a bill to reinstate the death penalty in the state, which he had favored while serving as a state assemblyman. [97] [98]

Van Drew opposes offshore drilling on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, he joined Republican John Rutherford to introduce the Atlantic Coastal Economies Protection Act, which would prohibit seismic air gun testing in the Atlantic Ocean. [99] Van Drew previously voted to withdraw from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative [97] and supported the construction of a pipeline through the Pinelands. [100]

In 2020, Van Drew said that he was pro-choice but opposed late-term abortions, [101] and in 2018, he expressed his support for Roe v. Wade (the landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide), saying, "any efforts to weaken or undermine [abortion rights] will face my fierce opposition." [102] [103] In 2022, Van Drew criticized those responsible for leaking Justice Samuel Alito's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization draft opinion, saying, "This is a clear effort to inflict public backlash of a Supreme Court decision to intimidate the justices to reverse their position". [104] After the Supreme Court overturned Roe, his office issued a press release saying that Van Drew supports the overturning of Roe and letting the states set abortion law. [105] [106] [107] In a 2022 debate, he said, "Personally I am pro-life." [108]

In 2024, amidst the 2024 New Jersey drone sightings, Van Drew claimed that Iran had launched a drone mothership that was off the coast of New Jersey. [109] [110]

Electoral history

United States House of Representatives elections, 2022
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Jeff Van Drew (incumbent) 139,217 58.9
Democratic Tim Alexander94,52240.0
Total votes236,484 100.0
Republican hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2020 [46]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Jeff Van Drew (incumbent) 195,526 51.9
Democratic Amy Kennedy 173,84946.2
Total votes376,547 100.0
Republican hold
August 9, 2020 Republican primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Jeff Van Drew (incumbent) 45,226 82.4
Republican Bob Patterson9,69117.6
United States House of Representatives elections, 2018 [111]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jeff Van Drew 125,755 52.9%
Republican Seth Grossman110,49145.2%
Libertarian John Ordille1,6310.6%
Independent Steven Fencihel1,0460.4%
Independent Anthony Parisi Sanchez9640.4%
Independent William R. Benfer8160.4%
Total votes240,703 100.00
Democratic gain from Republican
June 5, 2018 Democratic primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jeff Van Drew 15,654 55.4
Democratic Tanzira "Tanzie" Youngblood5,41719.2
Democratic William Cunningham4,73916.8
Democratic Nate Kleinman2,4438.6
Total votes28,253 100
2017 New Jersey State Senate District 1 Election [112]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jeff Van Drew (incumbent) 35,464 64.8%
Republican Mary Gruccio18,58934.0%
Independent Anthony Parisi Sanchez6521.2%
Democratic hold
2013 New Jersey State Senate District 1 Election [113]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jeff Van Drew (incumbent) 34,624 59.4%
Republican Susan Adelizzi Schmidt22,83539.2%
Independent Tom Greto8251.4%
Democratic hold
2011 New Jersey State Senate District 1 Election [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jeff Van Drew (incumbent) 24,557 54.0
Republican David S. DeWeese20,85745.9
Democratic hold
2007 New Jersey State Senate District 1 Election [114]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jeff Van Drew 28,240 55.7
Republican Nicholas Asselta (incumbent)22,46944.3
Democratic gain from Republican

Personal life

Van Drew and his wife, Ricarda, have two children. [115] He is a resident of Dennis Township. [116] Van Drew has served as president of the New Jersey Dental Society and a board expert of the New Jersey Board of Dentistry. [117]

Van Drew is a Freemason [118] at Cannon Lodge No. 104 in South Seaville, New Jersey. [119] Van Drew identifies his religion as being a Roman Catholic. [120]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Smith (New Jersey politician)</span> American politician (born 1953)

Christopher Henry Smith is an American politician serving his 22nd term as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 4th congressional district. Though it has taken various forms, his district has always been situated in central New Jersey. Currently, the district contains parts of Ocean and Monmouth counties. Smith is a member of the Republican Party, having switched from the Democratic Party in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Garrett</span> American politician (born 1959)

Ernest Scott Garrett is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 5th congressional district, serving from 2003 to 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1990 to 2003. Garrett chaired the United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises. He lost his reelection bid in 2016 to Democrat Josh Gottheimer, becoming the only incumbent Congressman in New Jersey to be defeated that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Kean Jr.</span> American politician (born 1968)

Thomas Howard Kean Jr. is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from New Jersey's 7th congressional district since 2023. He represented New Jersey's 21st legislative district in the New Jersey Senate from 2003 to 2022, serving as minority leader from 2008 to 2022.

New Jersey's 7th congressional district includes all of Hunterdon and Warren Counties; and parts of Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties. The district is represented by Republican Thomas Kean Jr., who was first elected in 2022, defeating Democratic incumbent Tom Malinowski.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard Lance</span> American attorney and politician (born 1952)

Leonard John Lance is an American politician and attorney who served as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 7th congressional district, from 2009 to 2019. He ran for re-election in 2018, but was defeated by Democrat Tom Malinowski. He is a member of the Republican Party who previously served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2009 and the New Jersey General Assembly from 1991 to 2002.

New Jersey's 9th congressional district is an urban congressional district in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and was represented in Congress by Democrat Bill Pascrell until his death in 2024, first elected in 1996 from the old 8th district. The 9th district consists largely of municipalities in Bergen and Passaic Counties. It was one of thirteen districts that would have voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election had they existed in their current configuration while being won or held by a Democrat in 2024.

New Jersey is one of the fifty U.S. states. The state is considered a stronghold of the Democratic Party and has supported the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1992. Democrats have also controlled both chambers of the state legislature since 2004. New Jersey currently has two Democratic United States senators. New Jersey's Class I Senate seat has been Democratic since 1959. New Jersey's Class II Senate seat has been Democratic since 1979. In addition, New Jersey's House congressional delegation has had a Democratic majority since 1965, except for a period between 1995-1999 and 2013-2017. As of July 1, 2020, there were more registered Democrats than unaffiliated voters for the first time in history, as there are more Democrats than Republicans as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Stepien</span> American political consultant

William Stepien is an American political consultant who served as the campaign manager for Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign beginning in July of that year. A member of the Republican Party, he was the White House Director of Political Affairs in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">116th United States Congress</span> 2019–2021 meeting of U.S. legislature

The 116th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and ended on January 3, 2021, during the final two years of Donald Trump's first presidency. Senators elected to regular terms in 2014 finished their terms in this Congress, and House seats were apportioned based on the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom MacArthur</span> American politician

Thomas Charles MacArthur is an American former insurance executive and politician. He served as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 3rd congressional district from 2015 to 2019. A Republican, MacArthur served on the city council of Randolph, New Jersey, from 2011 through 2013, and as its mayor in 2013. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014. After leaving Congress MacArthur returned to private business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Malinowski</span> American diplomat and politician (born 1965)

Tomasz "Tom" P. Malinowski is an American politician and diplomat who was the U.S. representative from New Jersey's 7th congressional district from 2019 to 2023. A Democrat, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in the Obama administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey</span>

The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the 12 U.S. representatives from the state of New Jersey, one from each of the state's 12 congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 New Jersey elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of New Jersey on November 5, 2019. Primary elections were held on June 4. The only state positions that were up in this election cycle were all 80 seats in the New Jersey General Assembly and one Senate special election in the 1st Legislative District. In addition to the State Legislative elections, numerous county offices and freeholders in addition to municipal offices were up for election. There was one statewide question on the ballot in 2019, and some counties and municipalities may have had a local question asked. Non-partisan local elections, some school board elections, and some fire district elections also happened in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikie Sherrill</span> American politician (born 1972)

Rebecca Michelle "Mikie" Sherrill is an American politician, former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, attorney, and former federal prosecutor serving as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district since 2019. The district includes a swath of suburban and exurban areas west of New York City. A member of the Democratic Party, Sherrill was elected on November 6, 2018. She was reelected in 2020 by a slightly narrower margin and reelected in 2022 by a wide margin. She is currently seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor of New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Kim (politician)</span> American politician and diplomat (born 1982)

Andrew Kim is an American politician and former diplomat serving as the junior United States senator from New Jersey, a seat he has held since 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 2019 to 2024 as the United States representative from New Jersey's 3rd congressional district. His district encompassed Philadelphia's eastern suburbs along southern and central New Jersey. He worked in the U.S. State Department before his election to Congress in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey</span>

The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 3, 2020, to elect the 12 U.S. representatives from the state of New Jersey, one from each of the state's 12 congressional districts. The primary election in which candidates were chosen took place on July 7, 2020. The general election coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Testa</span> Member of the New Jersey Senate

Michael L. Testa Jr. is an American politician and lawyer who represents the 1st Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate. A Republican, Testa was elected to the state senate on November 5, 2019 in the special election to fill the remaining 14 months of the unfinished term of Jeff Van Drew, who won a seat to the United States House of Representatives in 2018. He was sworn into office on December 5, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First impeachment of Donald Trump</span> 2019 US presidential impeachment

Donald Trump, serving as the 45th president of the United States, was impeached for the first time on December 18, 2019. On that date, the House of Representatives adopted two articles of impeachment against Trump: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. On February 5, 2020, the Senate voted to acquit Trump on both articles of impeachment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey</span>

The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the 12 U.S. representatives from the state of New Jersey, one from each of the state's 12 congressional districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey</span>

The 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 5, 2024, to elect the twelve U.S. representatives from the State of New Jersey, one from all twelve of the state's congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primary elections were held on June 4, 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "Cape May County Freeholder Race - Nov 08, 1994". Our Campaigns.
  2. ↑ Boninfante, Lenora. "Freeholder Board to Reorganize Jan. 3". Cape May County Herald. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022.
  3. ↑ "AFSCME endorses Democrats in Cape May freeholder race". New Jersey Globe. October 15, 2019.
  4. ↑ "VAN DREW, Jefferson 1953 –". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Senator Van Drew's Legislative web page Archived 2018-07-24 at the Wayback Machine , New Jersey Legislature. Accessed March 31, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Congressman Jefferson Van Drew". December 3, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Cape May County Freeholder Race - Nov 07, 2000". Our Campaigns.
  8. ↑ Conti, Vince (April 13, 2016). "County Struggled To Create Campus, Vision Took Form" . Cape May County Herald. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Prokop, Andrew (November 7, 2020). "Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, who left the Democratic Party to back Trump, wins reelection". Vox.
  10. ↑ "Memorandum of Agreement Between the New Jersey Pinelands Commission and Dennis Township" (PDF).
  11. ↑ Tamari, Jonathan. "Beck wins; Dems control both houses" [ permanent dead link ], Asbury Park Press , November 6, 2007. Accessed November 6, 2007. "Democrats, however, won two Senate seats in other traditionally Republican districts with victories by Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, and Assemblyman Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic, who ousted Sen. Nicholas Asselta, R-Cumberland, and Sen. James 'Sonny' McCullough, R-Atlantic."
  12. 1 2 Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2011 General Election Archived 2012-07-13 at the Wayback Machine , New Jersey Department of State, December 14, 2011. Accessed January 7, 2012.
  13. ↑ Friedman, Matt (November 5, 2013). "Jeff Van Drew holds on to N.J. Senate seat in Cape May County". NJ.com. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  14. ↑ Senate, No. 1162, New Jersey Legislature, introduced February 14, 2008. Accessed June 26, 2018. "Sponsored by: Senator Jeff Van Drew... Synopsis: 'New Jersey Fair Market Drug Pricing Act'; establishes New Jersey Rx Card Program to reduce prescription drug prices."
  15. 1 2 Friedman, Matt (April 15, 2018). "How progressives got steamrolled in New Jersey". Politico. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  16. ↑ Salant, Jonathan D. (November 7, 2017). "New Jersey Republican lawmaker Frank LoBiondo retiring". NJ.com. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  17. 1 2 Salant, Jonathan D. (November 7, 2017). "This N.J. Democrat will try to flip a seat in Congress after LoBiondo retirement". NJ.com. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  18. ↑ Smith, Joseph P.; Coppola, Anthony V. (November 29, 2017). "Van Drew will run for Congress in 2018" . The Vineland Daily Journal. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  19. ↑ Bowman, Bridget (February 20, 2018). "DCCC Announces Six More 'Red to Blue' Candidates". Roll Call.
  20. ↑ Carrera, Catherine. "Congressional midterm election guide: Who's running in the June primary" . northjersey.com.
  21. ↑ Huba, Nicholas; DeRosier Staff, John. "Van Drew to seek LoBiondo's Congressional seat; Guardian considering run on GOP side" . Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  22. ↑ Salant, Jonathan D. (July 9, 2018). "House Republicans withdraw support of N.J. candidate after report says he shared racist screed". NJ.com. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  23. ↑ "New Jersey Primary Election Results". The New York Times. June 11, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  24. ↑ Wildstein, David (June 8, 2018). "Cook Political Report: Van Drew likely winner, Sherrill vs. Webber leans Democrat". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  25. ↑ Wildstein, David (June 28, 2018). "Sabato Crystal Ball upgrades Dem chances in two NJ districts". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  26. ↑ "New Jersey Election Results: Second House District". The New York Times. January 28, 2019.
  27. 1 2 "Jeff Van Drew wins New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District seat". The Washington Post. November 15, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  28. ↑ Brunetti, Michelle (November 22, 2019). "Van Drew vows to stay a Democrat, even as he opposes impeachment" . Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  29. ↑ Martin, Jonathan; Corasaniti, Nick (December 14, 2019). "Representative Jeff Van Drew, Anti-Impeachment Democrat, Considering Switching Parties". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  30. ↑ DeBonis, Mike; Bade, Rachael; Kane, Paul; Dawsey, Josh (December 14, 2019). "Rep. Jeff Van Drew, anti-impeachment Democrat, expected to switch parties after Trump meeting". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  31. ↑ Salant, Jonathan D. (December 14, 2019). "N.J. Democrat who opposes Trump impeachment flips to Republican party". NJ.com.
  32. ↑ Verma, Pranshu (December 17, 2019). "'We've got serious issues': Inside Jeff Van Drew's impeachment-fueled defection to the GOP" . The Philadelphia Inquirer. A dizzying week in which New Jersey Democratic Rep. Jeff Van Drew prepared to defect to the Republican Party was the inevitable result of a clumsy approach to the politics of impeachment.
  33. ↑ Bresnahan, John; Caygle, Heather (December 16, 2019). "How Trump and McCarthy wooed Jeff Van Drew to switch parties". Politico. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  34. ↑ Bresnahan, John; Ferris, Sarah (December 16, 2019). "Staff exodus in Van Drew office after party switch". Politico . Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  35. ↑ Tully, Tracey (December 16, 2019). "7 Aides Resign Over Rep. Van Drew's Plan to Switch to Republican Party". The New York Times. As news spread of the New Jersey congressman's apparent decision, most of the staff in his Washington office quit.
  36. ↑ Tully, Tracey (December 16, 2019). "Praise for Rep. Van Drew From Trump, Scorn From Those at Home". The New York Times .
  37. ↑ Salant, Jonathan D. (December 15, 2019). "Trump praises N.J. Congressman Jeff Van Drew, who's ready to switch political parties". NJ.com .
  38. ↑ Hayes, Christal. "Is Rep. Jeff Van Drew a Democrat or Republican? He won't say on eve of impeachment vote". USA Today .
  39. ↑ Wasserman, David (December 16, 2019). "Van Drew Party Switch Moves NJ-02 from Toss Up to Lean Republican". The Cook Political Report.
  40. 1 2 Miller, Hayley (December 19, 2019). "Rep. Jeff Van Drew Officially Switches Parties, Pledges 'Undying Support' For Trump". HuffPost .
  41. ↑ Salant, Jonathan D. (December 27, 2019). "He helped elect Christie and Trump. Now Bill Stepien is trying to return Van Drew to Congress". NJ.com .
  42. 1 2 "Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress - Retro Member details". bioguideretro.congress.gov.
  43. ↑ Brunetti, Michelle (January 28, 2020). "Trump praises Van Drew in Wildwood campaign rally" . Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  44. ↑ Salant, Jonathan D.; Johnson, Brent (July 8, 2020). "Amy Kennedy win in House race put N.J. Democratic powerbroker in the unusual role of loser". NJ.com.
  45. ↑ Axelrod, Tal (August 27, 2020). "Ex-Democrat Van Drew speaks at GOP convention". The Hill.
  46. 1 2 "Official General Election Results: U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  47. ↑ "2022 Election Information". New Jersey Division of Elections. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  48. ↑ "Van Drew Buries GOP Opposition". Insider NJ. June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  49. ↑ "New Jersey Seventh Congressional district results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  50. ↑ Michelle Brunetti (December 8, 2023). "Van Drew to run for reelection, won't try for Menendez Senate seat". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  51. ↑ Smith, Joseph P. (June 23, 2018). "Van Drew joins list of Democratic congressional hopefuls opposing their party leader" . Vineland Daily Journal. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  52. ↑ Brunetti, Michelle (November 19, 2018). "Van Drew signs Dems letter opposing Nancy Pelosi for speaker" . Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  53. ↑ Brunetti, Michelle (January 3, 2019). "Van Drew votes no on Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker, but she wins" . The Press of Atlantic City .
  54. ↑ Rambaran, Vandana. "New Jersey Democrat bucks House trend, says he likely won't back impeachment resolution", Fox News , October 30, 2019. Accessed October 30, 2019.
  55. ↑ House approves impeachment rules, ushering in new phase of inquiry, CBS News , Grace Segers, Kathryn Watson and Stefan Becket, October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  56. ↑ Edmondson, Catie (October 31, 2019). "Meet the Democrats Who Broke Ranks on Impeachment". The New York Times. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  57. ↑ "FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 694". clerk.house.gov. December 18, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  58. ↑ Martin, Jonathan; Corasaniti, Nick (December 14, 2019). "Representative Jeff Van Drew, Anti-Impeachment Democrat, Plans to Switch Parties". The New York Times . Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  59. ↑ Bycoffe, Aaron (January 30, 2017). "Tracking Congress In The Age of Trump". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  60. ↑ Brunetti, Michelle (December 20, 2019). "Trump endorses Van Drew re-election after switch to GOP" . Press of Atlantic City.
  61. ↑ "List: The 126 House members, 19 states and 2 imaginary states that backed Texas' challenge to Trump defeat". The Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. December 15, 2020.
  62. ↑ Biskupic, Joan (December 12, 2020). "The Supreme Court's clear message to President Trump: Stop". CNN . Retrieved January 23, 2022. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Trump had persuaded a group of 18 other Republican state attorneys general and 126 Republican members of Congress to sign on to arguments that would have reversed the will of voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin.... The filing from GOP lawmakers placed Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey from South Carolina instead.
  63. ↑ Yourish, Karen; Buchanan, Larry; Lu, Denise (January 7, 2021). "The 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election Results". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  64. ↑ "Congressman Jeff Van Drew says he received death threat over rejection of election certification", WPVI-TV, March 17, 2021. Accessed January 23, 2022. "South Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew says his vote to reject the certification of electoral votes for Joe Biden resulted in a death threat against him and his wife. Van Drew says freelance journalist, John McCall, phoned his house and left a voicemail that said, among other things, 'As a member of the New Jersey Press Association, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are deposed, if not dead. You deserve the fate of traitors.'"
  65. ↑ Salant, Jonathan D. (February 5, 2021). "N.J.'s Chris Smith one of 11 Republicans who supported punishing Greene for threatening Pelosi, embracing QAnon". NJ.com.
  66. ↑ Salant, Jonathan D. (May 13, 2021). "Why N.J.'s 2 House Republicans voted to oust Liz Cheney from leadership spot". NJ.com.
  67. ↑ Grayer, Annie (November 6, 2021). "These 6 House Democrats voted against the infrastructure bill. These 13 Republicans voted for it". CNN. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  68. ↑ Zilbermints, Regina (September 23, 2021). "House passes sweeping defense policy bill". The Hill .
  69. ↑ "H.R. 4350: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 -- House Vote #293 -- Sep 23, 2021". GovTrack.us.
  70. ↑ Kheel, Rebecca (July 22, 2021). "House passes bill to streamline visa process for Afghans who helped US". The Hill. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  71. ↑ Knickmeyer, Ellen (July 22, 2021). "House votes to evacuate more Afghan allies as US war ends". Associated Press.
  72. ↑ "H.R. 7691: Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 117th Congress (2021–2023)". GovTrack.us. May 10, 2022.
  73. ↑ "The 18 House Republicans who voted against a resolution to support Finland, Sweden joining NATO". July 19, 2022.
  74. ↑ "Fairness for All Act (H.R. 1440)".
  75. ↑ "Roll Call 86 Roll Call 86, Bill Number: H. R. 1620, 117th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. March 17, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  76. ↑ Davis, Susan (March 17, 2021). "House Renews Violence Against Women Act, But Senate Hurdles Remain". NPR. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  77. ↑ Bellamy-Walker, Tat (June 28, 2021). "House Passes LGBTQ Small Business Loan Data Collection Bill". Gay City News.
  78. ↑ Schnell, Mychael (July 19, 2022). "These are the 47 House Republicans who voted for a bill protecting marriage equality". The Hill. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  79. 1 2 "House Passes Respect For Marriage Act, Sends Historic Bill To Biden". HuffPost. December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  80. ↑ Adragna, Anthony (December 8, 2022). "As same-sex marriage protections pass Congress, House GOP support decreases". Politico. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  81. 1 2 Schnell, Mychael (December 8, 2022). "Here are the 39 House Republicans who backed the same-sex marriage bill". The Hill. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  82. ↑ "H.R.216 - My Child, My Choice Act of 2023". Congress.gov.
  83. ↑ Gans, Jared (May 31, 2023). "Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no". The Hill . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  84. ↑ Brunetti, Michelle (December 24, 2019). "How much will Van Drew's voting change with his party switch?" . Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  85. ↑ Avedessian, Eric (October 25, 2007). "Democrat Van Drew looking at ethics reform, illegal immigration and government funding" (PDF). Cape May Star and Wave. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  86. ↑ "Van Drew's 'No' on Impeachment Inquiry Leaves Room to Walk It Back". NJ Spotlight. November 1, 2019. Archived from the original on November 2, 2019.
  87. ↑ Bycoffe, Aaron (January 30, 2017). "Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  88. ↑ Bycoffe, Aaron (January 30, 2017). "Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  89. ↑ Bycoffe, Anna Wiederkehr and Aaron (April 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  90. ↑ Rosenberg, Amy S. (April 9, 2018). "N.J. Congressional candidate won't have to show hand on state gun bills before primary". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on April 22, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  91. 1 2 Rosenberg, Amy S. (April 30, 2018). "Parkland survivor David Hogg calls out South Jersey congressional candidate Jeff Van Drew". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  92. ↑ Friedman, Matt (September 26, 2010). "N.J. senator pushes law allowing residents to carry handguns". NJ.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  93. ↑ "Democratic Senator Jeff Van Drew Strays From Party Position on Gun Control". NJTV. May 30, 2013. Archived from the original on May 17, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  94. ↑ Friedman, Matt; Spoto, MaryAnn (February 14, 2012). "New Jersey Senate approves gay marriage bill". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  95. ↑ Friedman, Matt (November 4, 2013). "Anti-gay marriage group helps Democratic state senator". NJ.com. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  96. ↑ Hassan, Minhaj (November 29, 2012). "Van Drew: Only thing worse than minimum wage is no job at all". The Observer. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  97. 1 2 3 Marans, Daniel (June 6, 2018). "Conservative Democrat Wins Primary In New Jersey House Seat". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  98. ↑ "NJ-02: Abandoning his "moderate" persona, Van Drew takes leftward turn on death penalty, pro-life issues". Save Jersey. February 14, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  99. ↑ Brunetti, Michelle (February 11, 2019). "Van Drew introduces bill to ban seismic testing in Atlantic". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  100. ↑ Friedman, Matt (February 21, 2018). "Van Drew's gun record riles progressives in Democratic primary for LoBiondo seat". Politico. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  101. ↑ Brunetti, Michelle (January 9, 2020). "Fitzherbert endorsed by NJ Right to Life PAC for Van Drew challenge". The Press of Atlantic City.
  102. ↑ Kilgore, Ed (December 16, 2019). "Van Drew Switch Gives House Republicans Exactly One Pro-Choice Member". New York Intelligencer blog. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  103. ↑ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  104. ↑ Livio, Susan; Salant, Jonathan (May 3, 2022). "Longtime abortion foe Chris Smith and others cheer expected ruling on 'deeply flawed' Roe v. Wade". NJ.com. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  105. ↑ "Congressman Van Drew Issues Statement on Supreme Court Overturning Roe v. Wade". Representative Jefferson Van Drew. June 24, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  106. ↑ Salant, Jonathan D. (November 2, 2022). "Where N.J. congressional candidates stand on inflation, abortion and other big issues". NJ.com. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  107. ↑ "South Jersey reacts to Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade". Burlington County Times. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  108. ↑ Brunetti, Michelle (October 20, 2022). "Mostly civil debate brings out stark differences between Van Drew, Alexander" . Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  109. ↑ "New Jersey congressman behind drone 'mothership' claim shares new info about Iran's drone activity". FOX 29 Philadelphia. December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  110. ↑ "Pentagon says mystery New Jersey drones not from Iranian 'mothership'". www.bbc.com. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  111. ↑ "New Jersey Department of State - Division of Elections". nj.gov.
  112. ↑ "Official List Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2017 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 29, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  113. ↑ "Official List Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/05/2015 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. December 4, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  114. ↑ "New Jersey Department of State - Division of Elections". Archived from the original on August 3, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2011. "New Jersey Senate, (retrieved on 12/12/11).
  115. ↑ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  116. ↑ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  117. ↑ Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey: 2004 Edition, p. 248. Lawyers Diary and Manual, LLC, 2004. ISBN   9781577411871. Accessed August 9, 2018. "He is a former president of the Dental Society and a board expert of the New Jersey State Board of Dentistry."
  118. ↑ Campbell, Al (April 10, 2018). "NJ Masons Dedicate CG Memorial Cornerstone". Cape May County Herald. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  119. ↑ "User Clip: Jeff Van Drew Cannon Lodge". C-SPAN.
  120. ↑ Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress PEW Research Center. Retrieved March 8, 2023
Political offices
Preceded by
Gary Jessel
 Member of the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders
1995–1998		Succeeded by
Mark Videtto
Preceded by
Mark Videtto
 Member of the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders
2001–2002		Succeeded by
Leonard C. Desiderio
New Jersey General Assembly
Preceded by Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 1st district
2002–2008
Served alongside: Nicholas Asselta, John C. Gibson, Nelson Albano 		Succeeded by
New Jersey Senate
Preceded by Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 1st district
2008–2018		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 2nd congressional district
2019–present		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
278th		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.