Jeff Van Drew
Jefferson H. Van Drew (born February 23, 1953) is an American politician and dentist 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.
Jeff Van Drew | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 2nd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Frank LoBiondo |
| Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 1st district | |
| In office January 8, 2008 – December 31, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Nicholas Asselta |
| Succeeded by | Bob Andrzejczak |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 1st district | |
| In office January 8, 2002 – January 8, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | John C. Gibson |
| Succeeded by | Matthew W. Milam |
| Member of the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders | |
| In office January 1, 2001 – January 8, 2002 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Videtto |
| Succeeded by | Leonard C. Desiderio |
| In office January 1, 1995 – January 1, 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Gary Jessel |
| Succeeded by | Mark Videtto |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 23, 1953 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (since 2020) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (until 2020) |
| Spouse |
Ricarda Van Drew (m. 1974) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Rutgers University, New Brunswick (BS) Fairleigh Dickinson University (DMD) |
| Website | House website |
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.