Michael Roth, a former leader in the U.S. Small Business Administration under President Joe Biden who recently moved back home to New Jersey, is mulling a campaign for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, a competitive seat held by two-term Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).
Roth told the New Jersey Globe that he is “strongly considering” entering the race, but has not made up his mind yet; Politico NJ first reported on Roth’s interest earlier today.
“The two things that I know how to do better than just about anybody are how to get things done in Washington D.C. and how to grow economies,” Roth said. “Just when we needed a break, Kean Jr. and Trump are [not just] declaring a senseless trade war on the world, but also declaring an economic war on our wallets and our rights, and I think New Jersey deserves better.”
The 35-year-old Roth, the grandson of Holocaust survivors and a “proud son of New Jersey,” was raised in Millburn, which was historically part of the 7th district but was moved out of the district in 2022. He spent much of his adult career in Washington, D.C. but moved back to Westfield – Kean’s hometown – earlier this year.
Roth has spent the last decade working at Next Street, an advisory firm for small businesses, including the last five years as one of the company’s CEOs. He also served as a top small business-focused official in Joe Biden’s presidential transition and administration for around six months in 2020 and 2021, including two months in 2021 as the Small Business Administration’s temporary leader.
It’s that experience, Roth argued, that makes him a strong potential candidate for the 7th district, a sprawling district that spans both wealthy suburbs and sparse rural areas.
“I played a critical leadership role in the Small Business Administration in 2021 during the largest crisis for small businesses in U.S. history,” he said. “In this district alone, I supported over 3,000 small businesses and 120,000 employees.”
Kean – a former state legislator who was Roth’s local state senator for much of his childhood – was first elected to the House in 2022, defeating Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) after the 7th district had been redrawn to be more conservative. Democrats targeted Kean for defeat in 2024 and funneled millions towards their nominee, Sue Altman, but Kean prevailed 52%-46% as Donald Trump was narrowly carrying the district.
That hasn’t discouraged other Democrats from looking at the district for 2026, though, and if Roth gets in the race, he would not have the Democratic primary to himself. Two other candidates, former Summit Councilman Greg Vartan and former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett, have launched campaigns, and at least two others, Disney executive James Filippatos and physician Tina Shah, are looking at the race as well.
Roth said he’s still talking with friends, family, and co-workers about whether to embark on his first run for political office, but he’s begun having conversations with local Democratic leaders, and he certainly already starting to sound like a candidate.
“We deserve somebody who shows up for constituents, and doesn’t play games,” he said. “This time requires somebody who really knows how to get things done in Washington and serve the people, and we can’t have a learning curve. There’s real urgency in this crisis.”
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