Rob Andrews
Robert Ernest Andrews (born
August 4,
1957) is an
American Democratic Party politician from
New Jersey, who is currently serving as a member of the
U.S. House of Representatives, representing
New Jersey's 1st congressional district (
map).
Andrews was born in
Camden and currently lives in
Haddon Heights, just outside Camden. He attended
Bucknell University, graduating in 1979 with a
B.A. in
political science. Andrews later attended
Cornell University Law School, earning his
J.D. degree in 1982. For several years, Andrews was involved in legal education as a member of
Cornell Law Review's board of editors; he also was an adjunct
professor at the
Rutgers University School of Law.
From 1983 onward, Andrews had a private law practice. He harbored high political ambitions even while attending
Triton Regional High School in
Runnemede. In 1987, he was elected as a member of the
Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders. In 1990, after 15-year incumbent
James Florio resigned to take office as
Governor of New Jersey, Andrews won a special election to succeed him. He won a full term later that year and has been reelected seven times without serious opposition.
In 1997 and 2001, Andrews unsuccessfully campaigned for the Democratic nomination for
Governor of New Jersey. Before the resignation of incumbent
Jim McGreevey, Congressman Andrews was reportedly considering a
primary challenge against him in 2005.
Andrews is generally considered a moderate by New Jersey Democratic standards, with a pro-defense and fiscally conservative platform. Rob Andrews is one of the very few
South Jersey Democratic politicians that are independent of party boss
George Norcross III. Andrews' independence of the Democratic
political machine and poor name recognition outside of South Jersey hampered his efforts to obtain the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1997 and 2001.
Using
Amtrak to commute from his Haddon Heights home while Congress is in session, Andrews does not maintain a residence in
Washington, D.C.. Needless to say, Andrews is an ardent supporter of Amtrak
subsidies.
While Andrews had been frequently mentioned as a possible replacement for
Jon Corzine's
United States Senate seat after Corzine's November 2005 gubernatorial victory,
Robert Menendez was eventually chosen by Corzine to fill the vacancy. Andrews had informally announced his plan to run in the 2006 Democratic primary against Menendez, but in January 2006 announced that he would run for a ninth full term in the House and seek the Senate seat in 2008 if Senator
Frank Lautenberg retires.
Congressman Andrews faces no GOP opponent in the 2006 Congressional race.
Andrews received a "B" on the
Drum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues
[ Congress at the Midterm: Their 2005 Middle-Class Record, accessed June 28, 2006].
*
Official website*
record maintained by the Washington Post
