RNC Chairman Joe Gruters pledged the Republican National Committee’s full support for Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s re-election campaign, calling New Jersey’s 7th congressional district “ground zero” in the battle for control of Congress.
Gruters spoke after a packed house today at Kean’s Bernardsville campaign office, where volunteers were making phone calls. He said the campaign had made 68,000 voter contacts during the previous five weeks, including 22,000 door knocks and 46,000 telephone calls.
“It’s a top priority race, and we’re fully committed to his re-election,” Gruters said in an interview with the New Jersey Globe.
The RNC already has nine full-time staffers working in NJ-7, and Gruters said he expects the party to add more field staff as Election Day approaches. He declined to provide a specific spending figure but said the RNC would make a substantial investment in the race.
“We’re going to spend a lot, and we’re going to make sure Congressman Kean is successful,” Gruters said. “So, the bottom line is whatever it takes to help him win.”
Gruters said the RNC has “the most cash on hand ever in the history of the Republican Party right now” and plans to deploy those resources in competitive districts like Kean’s.
Kean was not at today’s event; he’s in Washington, where the House is in session. The GOP leader said he plans to be in New Jersey “numerous times between now and Election Day.”
Gruters also said he had spoken with Kean several times following the congressman’s diagnosis of depression and found him upbeat, positive and prepared to continue campaigning.
“He’s the absolute best candidate to win the seat,” Gruters said. “And we’re glad he’s back in the fight.”
Gruters said there was no established blueprint for how a public official should navigate such a diagnosis, but he expressed confidence in Kean’s health and political standing.
“I’m just glad he’s stronger than ever coming out of it,” Gruters said.
Asked about the aggressive media attention directed at Kean and members of his family, Gruters called politics “a blood sport” and said public service requires thick skin.
“I’m glad he got the help that he needed,” Gruters said. “And he’s ready to go back to work for New Jerseyans.”
Gruters also addressed the disclosure that a New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission software error resulted in approximately 6,600 noncitizens being registered to vote, roughly 400 of whom subsequently cast ballots.
“It’s easy to blame a glitch,” Gruters said. “But, you know, the Democrats and the governor, you know, they keep on claiming this type of stuff never happens. Yet the discovery tells the same old story.”
Gruters said the episode demonstrated the need for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
“We’ve had enough excuses,” he said. “It’s time to pass the SAVE America Act and ensure only American citizens are going to vote in American elections.”
Gruters demanded full transparency from Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration and contended that the discovery validated President Donald Trump’s allegations about noncitizens appearing on New Jersey’s voter rolls.
“How many more glitches are there?” Gruters asked.
Asked directly whether the approximately 400 noncitizens who cast ballots should be prosecuted, Gruters answered: “100%.”
“It comes at a cost,” he said. “I mean, these guys have voted, are in big trouble.”
Gruters also placed blame on the government system that improperly registered them and on anyone who may have encouraged them to vote despite knowing they were not eligible.
“Shame on the people that helped them,” Gruters said. “Shame, shame on the system that allowed it to happen.”
New Jersey’s 7th district is one of the most competitive in the U.S. Trump carried it by one point in 2024 and Sherrill by two points in 2025. Kean, a two-term congressman from Westfield, faces Democrat Rebecca Bennett, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, in the general election.
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