Today, EMILYs List put U.S. Reps. Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02) and Tom Kean (NJ-07) “On Notice,” naming them among 46 House Republicans as top targets for defeat in the 2026 midterm elections. Their districts constitute the Democratic Party’s best path to flip Republican-held seats and take back power in the U.S. House.
These Republicans — each with their own extremist record — support an agenda that threatens our livelihoods and our fundamental rights in direct opposition to the will of the American people. They are rubber stamps for Trump’s Project 2025 agenda, in which billionaires profit and people lose. EMILYs List is committed to relieving them of their power in 2026 and replacing them by electing Democratic pro-choice women in districts across the country.
EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler released the following statement:
“House Republicans are working in lockstep to advance the Trump-Musk agenda and people all across the country are feeling the pain. The chaos and cruelty has no bounds — from slash-and-burn cuts to critical programs for veterans and farmers, to voting to strip millions of health care, to their continued assault on our fundamental rights and freedoms. It’s time for House Republicans to go. That’s why EMILYs List is putting their extremism on blast. As they run scared, hiding from voters to avoid accountability, EMILYs List is exposing their real agenda to the American people.
“In 2026, we must take back the majority in the U.S. House to create a federal check on Donald Trump and beat back GOP attacks on our rights and our livelihoods. Democratic pro-choice women will be at the heart of the fight for the majority by flipping competitive seats across the country. House Republicans beware; we are coming for your seats.”
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Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02)
- Co-sponsored deceptive anti-choice legislation in January 2025 used to stigmatize abortion care and criminalize doctors.
- Voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act twice, legislation that would have codified Roe v. Wade.
- Voted against the 2022 Right to Contraception Act, which would safeguard the right to birth control nationwide.
- Co-sponsored legislation to shield Trump from legal cases.
- Received an “A+” rating from radical anti-choice extremist group Susan B. Anthony List, whose goal is to end abortion.
- Endorsed by Donald Trump, whose dangerous Project 2025 agenda includes a path towards a total ban on abortion and ripping health care from people with pre-existing conditions.
- Voted for the 2025 House Republican Budget that could undermine health care for nearly 175,000 people in his district.
Tom Kean (NJ-07)
- Voted for deceptive anti-choice legislation in January 2025 used to stigmatize abortion care and criminalize doctors.
- Voted to block consideration of the Women’s Health Protection Act, legislation that would have codified Roe v. Wade.
- Voted against legislation that codified reproductive rights in New Jersey in 2022.
- Received an “A” rating from radical anti-choice extremist group Susan B. Anthony List, whose goal is to end abortion.
- Voted for the 2025 House Republican Budget that could undermine health care for more than 70,000 people in his district.
- Endorsed Donald Trump and his dangerous Project 2025 agenda, which includes a path towards a total ban on abortion and ripping health care from people with pre-existing conditions.
See all of the “On Notice” U.S. House Republicans and their extreme records HERE.
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EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, works to elect Democratic pro-choice women up and down the ballot and across the country with a goal of fighting for our rights and our communities. Over nearly 40 years, EMILYs List has raised nearly $950 million to help Democratic women win competitive elections by recruiting and training candidates, supporting and helping build strong campaigns, researching the issues that impact women and families, running one of the most impactful independent expenditure operations for Democrats, and turning out women voters to the polls. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect the country’s first woman as vice president, 192 women to the House, 29 to the Senate, 20 governors, and over 1,600 women to state and local office. More than 40% of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. Visit www.emilyslist.org for more information.
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EMILY’s List, a political action committee that supports pro-choice Democratic women candidates, has issued a warning to two U.S. House Republicans from New Jersey. The warning comes as EMILY’s List ramps up its efforts to protect and elect more women to Congress.
The two Republicans in question are Rep. Chris Smith and Rep. Jeff Van Drew, both of whom have faced criticism from EMILY’s List for their anti-choice stances. EMILY’s List has labeled both Smith and Van Drew as “extreme” on reproductive rights issues and has vowed to hold them accountable for their positions.
Rep. Chris Smith, who represents New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District, has a long history of opposing abortion rights. He has consistently voted in favor of restricting access to abortion and has been a vocal opponent of Planned Parenthood. EMILY’s List has called out Smith for his extreme views on reproductive rights and has warned that they will work to defeat him in the upcoming election.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who represents New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District, has also come under fire from EMILY’s List for his anti-choice stance. Van Drew, a former Democrat who switched parties in 2019, has a mixed record on reproductive rights issues. While he has voted in favor of some pro-choice measures, he has also supported restrictions on abortion access. EMILY’s List has criticized Van Drew for his inconsistent stance on reproductive rights and has pledged to hold him accountable.
EMILY’s List’s warning to Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew is part of a larger effort to elect more pro-choice Democratic women to Congress. The organization has already endorsed several women candidates in New Jersey who are running for office in 2022. EMILY’s List is urging voters to support these candidates and help flip the House in favor of pro-choice lawmakers.
In response to EMILY’s List’s warning, Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew have defended their positions on reproductive rights. Smith has argued that his anti-abortion stance is rooted in his belief in the sanctity of life, while Van Drew has emphasized his support for women’s health care services beyond abortion.
The upcoming election in New Jersey will be a crucial one for reproductive rights advocates, as EMILY’s List and other organizations work to elect more pro-choice lawmakers to Congress. The warnings issued to Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew serve as a reminder of the importance of supporting candidates who will fight for women’s rights and access to reproductive health care.
