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 CountyBoard 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]
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]
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]
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]
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
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 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]
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.
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]
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]
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]
^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."
^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."
^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.
^"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.'"
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