Jeff Van Drew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeff Van Drew
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 2nd district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Frank LoBiondo |
| Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 1st district |
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| In office January 8, 2008 – December 31, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Nicholas Asselta |
| Succeeded by | Bob Andrzejczak |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 1st district |
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| In office January 8, 2002 – January 8, 2008 |
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| 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 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Videtto |
| Succeeded by | Leonard Desiderio |
| In office January 1, 1995 – January 1, 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Gary Jessel |
| Succeeded by | Mark Videtto |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jefferson Van Drew
February 23, 1953 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (before 2020) Republican (2020–present) |
| Spouse |
Ricarda Van Drew
(m. 1974) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Rutgers University, New Brunswick (BS) Fairleigh Dickinson University (DMD) |
| Website | |
Jefferson "Jeff" Van Drew (born February 23, 1953) is an American politician. He currently serves as a U.S. representative for New Jersey's 2nd congressional district. He has held this position since 2019.
Van Drew was first elected as a Democrat. However, he joined the Republican Party in 2020. Before becoming a U.S. representative, he held many public jobs. These included fire commissioner and mayor of Dennis Township, New Jersey. He also served in the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate.
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Early Life and Education
Jeff Van Drew was born in New York City. He went to Rutgers University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Later, he received a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Before entering politics, Van Drew worked as a dentist. He ran his own dental practice in South Jersey for 30 years.
Starting in Politics
Van Drew began his political career in local government. He served on the Dennis Township Committee in 1991. He was also the mayor of Dennis Township from 1994 to 1995 and again from 1997 to 2003.
He was a member of the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders. This is a local governing body. He served there from 1994 to 1997 and from 2000 to 2002. He also worked as a Dennis Township Fire Commissioner from 1983 to 1986.
As a Freeholder, Van Drew strongly supported creating a local community college. In 2002, work began on the Atlantic Cape Community College campus in Cape May County.
Serving in the New Jersey Legislature
Van Drew represented the 1st Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly. This was from 2002 to 2008. He then represented the same district in the New Jersey Senate from 2008 to 2018. During this time, he was a Democrat.
In 2007, he was elected to the New Jersey Senate. He won against the Republican who held the seat. He was reelected in 2011 and 2013.
While in the Senate, Van Drew worked on several committees. He was the chair of the Community and Urban Affairs Committee. He also helped create the "New Jersey Rx Card Program." This program aimed to lower the cost of prescription drugs.
U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a U.S. Representative
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In 2018, Jeff Van Drew decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. The seat for New Jersey's 2nd congressional district was open because the previous representative was retiring. This district covers a large area in southern New Jersey.
Van Drew won the Democratic primary election in June 2018. He then faced Republican Seth Grossman in the general election. Van Drew won the election with 52.9% of the votes. His district was one of four in New Jersey that changed from Republican to Democratic in 2018.
Switching Political Parties
In late 2019, Van Drew was considering changing from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. This was because he did not support the effort to remove President Donald Trump from office. After meeting with President Trump, many of Van Drew's staff members resigned.
On December 19, 2019, Van Drew officially announced he would join the Republican Party. He said he would give President Trump his "undying support." He officially changed his party on January 7, 2020.
Reelection Campaigns
In 2020, Van Drew ran for reelection as a Republican. He won the Republican primary. He then faced Democratic challenger Amy Kennedy in the general election. Van Drew won the election with 52% of the votes.
He ran for reelection again in 2022. He won the Republican primary with 82% of the vote. In the general election, he won with 59.3% of the vote.
In December 2023, Van Drew announced he would run for reelection in the 2024 elections. He chose not to run for the U.S. Senate.
Key Actions in Congress
Van Drew was the first Democrat to represent his district since 1995. When he first joined Congress, he did not support Nancy Pelosi becoming the Speaker of the House.
In October 2019, he stated he would oppose the effort to remove President Trump from office. He was one of only two Democrats to vote against the rules for this process. He also voted against both articles of impeachment against Trump in December 2019.
After joining the Republican Party, Van Drew supported President Trump. In December 2020, he signed a document supporting a lawsuit that questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election. On January 6, 2021, he was one of the lawmakers who objected to the certification of the 2020 election results.
In 2021, Van Drew voted to remove Liz Cheney from her leadership role within the House Republican party. He believed she was not helping to unite the party. In November 2021, he was one of 13 House Republicans who voted with most Democrats to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
In May 2025, Van Drew voted for a Republican bill called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This bill significantly cut funding for Medicaid.
Political Views
Van Drew's political views have changed over time. When he ran for State Senate in 2007, he said he was proud to be a Democrat because the party represented working and middle-class people. He was known as one of the more conservative Democrats in the state senate. After joining the Republican Party, his voting record aligned more closely with Republican positions.
Agriculture and Animal Welfare
Van Drew does not support federal laws that would override state and local agricultural rules. This includes laws about how farm animals are treated. He signed letters opposing a bill that would have stopped states from banning the sale of animal products from animals raised in small cages.
Energy Policy
Van Drew helped start the Offshore Wind Caucus in Congress. However, he later left the group and became a strong critic of offshore wind energy. He has argued that offshore wind projects harm whales. In 2025, he worked with President Donald Trump to stop offshore wind energy projects in the United States.
Foreign Policy and Defense
In 2021, Van Drew voted for a defense bill that would require women to register for the military draft. He also voted for a bill to increase the number of special visas for Afghan allies who helped the U.S. military. However, he voted against providing $40 billion in emergency aid to the Ukrainian government. He was also one of 18 Republicans who voted against Sweden and Finland joining NATO.
LGBTQIA+ Rights
In 2021, Van Drew supported the Fairness for All Act. This bill would prevent discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. It would also protect religious freedom. He was one of 29 Republicans who voted to renew the Violence Against Women Act. This bill expanded protections for transgender people.
In 2022, Van Drew initially voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would protect the right to same-sex marriage. However, he later voted against the final version of the bill. In 2023, he sponsored a bill called the My Child, My Choice Act. This bill would stop federal funding for schools that do not require parents' permission before teaching about gender identity or sexual orientation.
Other Positions
Van Drew was one of 71 Republicans who voted against the final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. This bill dealt with government spending and debt.
He has also supported efforts to remove the records of President Trump's impeachments.
Committee Assignments
Van Drew serves on important committees in the U.S. House of Representatives:
- Committee on the Judiciary
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
He has also served on the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Education and Labor in the past.
Personal Life
Jeff Van Drew lives in Dennis Township, New Jersey. He is married to Ricarda Van Drew, and they have two children. He has been involved in the dental community, serving as president of the New Jersey Dental Society. Van Drew is a Freemason and identifies as a Roman Catholic.
Images for kids
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Van Drew in October 2019
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