NJ-02: Jeff Van Drew (R)
PROFILE
About Van Drew:
Van Drew was a small business owner in Atlantic County, where he practiced dentistry for more than 35 years. He lives in Cape May County, where he is a life member of the Ocean View Fire Company.
The Second District is an expansive stretch of the southernmost region of the state, comprised of the state’s entire coast from Barnegat Light to the Cape May Point Lighthouse. It reaches to the Delaware Memorial Bridge and covers all Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties, as well as parts of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Ocean counties. The district is home to much of the state’s agricultural and fishing heritage, and a major focus of its tourism industry.
“My top priority in Congress has been and will continue to be to find ways to bring economic opportunities and good jobs to South Jersey,” said Van Drew. “I want to ensure that reforms to the nation’s tax structure, health insurance system and trade policies are beneficial to South Jersey families and business owners, which will require ongoing vigilance and attention to detail.”
Dr. Van Drew served approximately one third of the district in the State Senate, including all of Cape May County and portions of Cumberland and Atlantic counties. Before then, he represented the district in the General Assembly, beginning in 2002.
Dr. Van Drew also previously served as mayor of his community of Dennis Township. He was recognized by state leaders of both parties for holding the line on property taxes. In several legislative sessions, Dr. Van Drew earned the distinction of having more bills signed into law than any other legislator in New Jersey.
He sponsored several measures to make sure New Jersey children with dyslexia and other reading disabilities receive the instruction they need to succeed. He opposed the diversion of funding for the Vineland Veterans Home in the state budget, and preserved transportation funds for veterans to see their own doctors without added costs. He is the sponsor of many of the state’s open space and farmland preservation laws, as well as several measures to protect New Jersey’s native diamondback terrapins from being run over or caught.