Some say he was banking on his family name to help him win New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District race. But for Republican Tom Kean, Jr., the son of a popular former New Jersey governor, the third time was not a charm. Kean, Jr., lost to incumbent Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski, according to the Associated Press.

Kean, Jr., who is the Minority Leader in the State Senate, has attempted to run for federal office three times. Back in 2000, he wasn’t able to make it past the Republican Primary in order to run in the 7th’s General Election. But in 2006, Republicans were confident he had all the right qualifications to win the U.S. Senate seat Jon Corzine left to become Governor and Democrats handed over to the Congressman Robert Menendez.

After all, Kean, Jr.’s father, former Governor Tom Kean, is so respected that to this day few people can

find an ill word to say about the statesman. Kean’s character was one of the main reasons former President George W. Bush nominated him to lead the September 11 Commission that independently investigated the intelligence community’s inability to prevent the September 11th Attacks on the World Trade Center.

A well-organized campaign helped Kean, Jr., make it past the Republican Primary in 2006 but he ended up losing to Menendez in the General Election. Having covered that race, I remember Kean, Jr.’ mild-mannered and shy personality, which is why it’s been baffling to watch the 52-year-old and his camp wage an ugly campaign against Malinowski. Republicans ran commercials on television falsely accusing Malinowski of protecting child predators. In fact, Malinowski recently tweeted, saying because of the ad, an extremist group amplified the lies and he became the target of threats.

Political insiders say Kean, Jr., fell into the trap of using Trump-like tactics in the 7th Congressional District, which turned blue back in 2018 after voting for Republicans for years.

According to Patrick Murray, the Director of Monmouth University Poll, the 7th is the epitome of that wealthy, suburban district with college educated voters, mainly women, with deep anti-Trump sentiments, who had become increasingly unhappy with the direction the Republican Party had taken under Donald Trump. We’ve tried to talk with Kean, Jr., for the past month but he and his campaign haven’t responded to our emails or calls. Kean, Jr., has been avoiding other reporters, as well.

We won’t know if Kean, Jr., could’ve actually won this race if he had approached the campaign differently. Even though the state lawmaker supported President Trump and attended his South Jersey rally, the policies he’s backed most of his career are closer to the center of the Republican Party. The incumbent who just beat him hasn’t spent his entire life in the Garden State and many argue Malinowski didn’t even have that “Jersey credibility” when he first ran in the 7th Congressional District. But he handily beat the GOP challenger.

For that reason and many others, behind the scenes, some are asking if Kean, Jr.’s career is at an end. Sources in the Republican Party tell me they’re not giving up on the younger Kean. So, if he chooses to seek higher office again, maybe next time, Kean, Jr., can run as himself — that soft-spoken gentleman, who some believe actually cares about what affects New Jersey residents, and perhaps – if he can’t talk to the media – with a website that at least attempts to substantively address the issues.

“He’s popular with the caucus,” a Republican, who doesn’t want to be identified, tells me. “He’s great at raising money and it’ll be up to Tom if he wants to run in another race. He’ll have to make that call.”