If Tom Malinowski gets past incumbent U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7) in November, the GOP could finally face the prospect of more upper echelon movement in the legislature.

A GOP source told InsiderNJ that Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean,, Jr. (R-21) would be the most likely 2020 challenger to Malinowski (presumably with the support of Somerset Republicans in exchange for Union [and Kean-Bramnick] backing for former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-16) for governor in 2021.

If Kean were to deny Malinowski a second term, his victory would create a senate vacancy, and presumably make Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-21) a state senator.

Kean’s departure would also, of course, create a leadership vacancy in the state senate, where Senator Steve Oroho (R-24), a source told InsiderNJ, has traction based on a combination of seniority, record and cross-the-aisle results. Other candidates could certainly emerge, but Oroho is the most likely Kean successor at this moment in time.