Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. endorses election denying Trump loyalist for U.S. Senate

New Jersey Republican Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. has been silent about supporting former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, but he has endorsed a prominent 2020 election denier in his state’s U.S. Senate race.

Kean, who represents New Jersey’s 7th district, endorsed Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner’s campaign in September. Glassner is one of several Republicans vying for her party’s nod in the state’s open U.S. Senate contest. A primary is scheduled for June 4.

“[Glassner] is committed to securing our borders and combating Joe Biden’s out of ‘control spending,” Kean wrote in a social media post. “With her experience as a successful mayor and advocate for small businesses, Christine will bring real solutions to the US Senate.”

Glassner was elected mayor in 2016. At the time, her husband, Michael, was chief operating officer of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Today, Michael runs a legal defense fund to help pay the former president’s legal bills.

At an April 3 primary debate, in which Glassner was the only participant, she said if she were in the senate she would have voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election. She falsely claimed that ballot stuffing and “​​severe irregularities” contributed to Trump’s loss.

Trump endorsed Glassner’s campaign in May.

Kean represents one of the most competitive districts in New Jersey, a solidly blue state. As such, he has been cautious about aligning himself with Trump. Kean has not publicly stated his opinion on the legitimacy of the 2020 election, and he is one of the few House Republicans who has not yet endorsed Trump’s 2024 campaign. When a CNN reporter asked Kean if he was supporting Trump, Kean remained silent and walked away.

Glassner, however, is not the first election denier Kean has backed. In October 2023, Kean supported Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan’s failed bid to become Speaker of the House. Jordan reportedly advised Trump on his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

A recent ad from Glassner’s campaign attacked one of her primary opponents for not being more supportive of Trump.

A Kean spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions for this story.