Tom Kean Jr. Upset Possible, While Democrats Dominate New Jersey Races
BRIDGEWATER, NJ - NOVEMBER 7: New Jersey Republican Senate candidate Tom Kean Jr. speaks after conceding the U.S.Senate race to incumbent U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) November 7, 2006 in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Kean had faced Menendez (D-NJ) in a tightly contested race for the U.S. Senate seat. (Photo by Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)
Republican congressional candidate Tom Kean Jr. is in line to pull out an upset over Democrat incumbent Tom Malinowski in New Jersey’s seventh congressional district.
According to the New York Times, with 95 percent of precincts reporting, Kean has won 153,082 votes compared to 139, 404 votes for Malinowski, or better represented, Kean has won 52 percent of the vote.
Malinowski had held that seat in the seventh congressional district since 2018. He is one of a number of flips that went from Democrat to Republican, even though it was not the sizable red wave across the country that many had predicted.
Kean Jr., is the son of former New Jersey governor Tom Kean. Kean was a New Jersey Assemblyman from 2001-2003 and served the 21st legislative district which covers Union, Morris, Somerset and Essex Counties. He ran against Malinowski two years ago, and narrowly lost. This time was much differnet.
The news comes as Democrats mostly dominated New Jersey’s mid-term election. Notable winners include Josh Gottheimer (D – 6th Congressional District); Robert Menedez Jr. (D- 8th Congressional District) Bill Pascrell (D – 9th congressional District);Donald Payne (D -10th Congressional District); Mikie Sherill (D – 11th Congressional District), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D – 12th congressional District).
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'I Voted' Sticker: 5 Fun Facts About Civic Duty's Most Iconic Symbol
Besides having a say in your local, state and federal government representatives, one of the most popular aspects of going to vote is receiving an “I Voted” sticker.
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve taken a selfie proudly showing off proof you voted. (This author is certainly guilty of doing so on multiple occasions.) But you should be proud to show off your sticker! Not only are you exercising your civic duty, but you’re also in possession of a true American icon.
Of course, for the 2024 election, the classic “I Voted” sticker has seen more designs join the fray. However, few have garnered as much attention as one particular design in Michigan. This year, the Wolverine State held a contest for residents to submit a new “I Voted” sticker design that will be printed and handed out at polling stations across the state. Among the winners was a design showing a werewolf ripping off a shirt in front of an American flag, which has since received a ton of attention nationwide.
John Oliver even talked about the infamous sticker on Last Week Tonight. He said of the design, “The founding fathers should frankly be ashamed that they didn’t ensure voting came with complimentary werewolf swag. I cannot believe it took nearly 250 years for a young Michigan genius to solve that obvious flaw in our democracy.”
Oliver’s praise didn’t just stop there. When the design was first released, the host jokingly said, “Yes! Everything about that is perfect. The line work, the kinetic energy of the shirt being ripped off, the wolf’s head thrown back in patriotic ecstasy at the concept of democracy. I know this is not the point, but I would commit voter fraud to get multiples of that sticker.”
That description eventually led to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to respond to Oliver saying, “No need to ‘commit voter fraud,’ John and @LastWeekTonight! We’ll send you some stickers.”
While the Michigan werewolf design is incredibly fun, let us not forget about the original design where this all started. Here are five fun facts about the classic “I Voted” sticker.
Michael Cohen is the News and Sports Director at Fox Sports Radio New Jersey and Magic 98.3 FM, as well as a radio production assistant with Fox and Magic in New Jersey. He started his career in Somerset in 2018 initially as a news fill-in at WCTC 1450 AM, and soon moved up to higher responsibilities in the ensuing years, assuming News & Sports Director title in 2021Prior to his time with Fox Sports New Jersey, Michael was play-by-play voice for New Jersey Jackals baseball, and as well as play-by-play and color for the College of Staten Island basketball (men and women), softball and baseball. Michael began his career as a news and sportswriter with the Jersey Journal of Hudson County.
