Meet Tom | Tom Malinowski for Congress

Meet Tom Malinowski

Representing NJ-07

A Few Words

I was born in Communist Poland at the height of the Cold War, where I lived with my mother until I was 6 years old. One of my earliest memories is of my mom paying off a corrupt official to get the passports that would allow us to come to America. As young as I was, I understood I was living in a place where some people had all the power and could do whatever they pleased to people who had none. That’s a feeling I’ve never forgotten.

I grew up in Central Jersey, going to public schools, playing baseball, and hoping that someday I could give something back to the country that gave me my freedom. I got that chance while serving President Clinton on his National Security Council working to end some of the 20th Century’s bloodiest humanitarian crises, as the chief advocate for Human Rights Watch, leading a bipartisan effort to end the Bush Administration’s use of torture, and as an Assistant Secretary of State under President Obama, standing up to dictators like Putin and Kim Jong-Un.

Tom taking the oath of office as Assistant Secretary of State.

Since my election to Congress, I’ve worked just as hard for the people of our district, to get the cost of health care and prescription drugs down, to protect our kids from gun violence, and to preserve our clean water and open spaces. I’ve gotten funding for critical projects like the Gateway Tunnel and Portal Bridge, and to prevent flooding in our communities. I led a successful effort to restore funds the Trump administration cut to protect us from domestic terrorism, including antisemitic violence. I helped pass a bill in the House to regain our state and local tax deduction, and delivered aid to municipalities that has kept our property taxes down.

I’ve worked across party lines to keep America safe, and to preserve our leadership for freedom and security in the world. But I’ve never hesitated to speak out when our leaders fail to keep their oath to the Constitution. I want America to remain the country my family chose when we came here — a place where those we entrust with high responsibility tell the truth, respect the law, and set a good example for our kids.

Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, I want to make sure you are heard. That’s why I’ve held over 130 public town hall meetings to get your input and report on what I’m doing to deliver for our district. I hope to see you soon.

I look forward to working with you through November and beyond.