Representative Scott Garrett

Ernest Scott Garrett (born July 9, 1959) is an American politician and attorney who represented New Jersey’s 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 2003, to January 3, 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he served seven consecutive terms in Congress and emerged as a prominent conservative voice on fiscal and social issues. His fourteen-year tenure in the House coincided with major national and international developments, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the financial crisis of 2008, and extensive debates over health care and financial regulation, during which he participated actively in the legislative process and represented the interests of his North Jersey constituents.

Garrett was born on July 9, 1959, and grew up in New Jersey, where he attended local schools before pursuing higher education in the state. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Montclair State College (now Montclair State University), grounding his early academic training in the liberal arts. He then enrolled at Rutgers School of Law–Camden, where he obtained a Juris Doctor. After completing his legal education, he was admitted to the bar and engaged in the practice of law in New Jersey. His early professional life combined legal work with increasing involvement in Republican politics at the local and state levels, laying the groundwork for a career that would blend legal expertise with legislative service.

Garrett entered elective office in the New Jersey General Assembly in 1990, representing a district in northern New Jersey, and he served there until 2003. Over the course of his thirteen years in the Assembly, he developed a reputation as a staunch fiscal conservative, consistently advocating lower taxes, reduced government spending, and limited government intervention in the economy. Within the Republican caucus he rose in influence, becoming known for his adherence to conservative principles on budgetary and regulatory matters and for his skepticism of expansive state programs. His long tenure in the state legislature provided him with substantial experience in lawmaking, oversight, and constituent service, and it established his profile as a conservative legislator prior to his election to federal office.

In 2002, Garrett ran for the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey’s 5th congressional district to succeed retiring Republican Representative Marge Roukema. He won the election and took office on January 3, 2003. Garrett went on to serve seven terms, remaining in Congress until January 3, 2017. During his time in the House, he was an active participant in debates and legislation on a wide range of issues, with particular emphasis on financial and economic policy. He became a leading conservative critic of what he viewed as excessive federal spending and regulatory overreach, consistently aligning with the more conservative wing of the Republican Party and supporting efforts to restrain the growth of government and promote free-market policies. His tenure encompassed congressional responses to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, the 2008 financial crisis, and the passage and subsequent challenges to major health care and financial regulatory laws.

Garrett’s most prominent committee work was on the House Committee on Financial Services, where he played a key role in shaping policy related to capital markets, securities regulation, and government-sponsored enterprises. He chaired the United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, a position that placed him at the center of congressional oversight of entities such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and of broader capital markets regulation. In this capacity, he was involved in legislative responses to the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent regulatory reforms, advocating approaches that emphasized market discipline, private-sector solutions, and skepticism of expansive federal intervention in the financial sector. His work on the committee reinforced his standing as a leading fiscal conservative from the Northeast.

Throughout his congressional career, Garrett stood for reelection multiple times in a district that, while historically leaning Republican, became increasingly competitive over the years. His campaigns drew attention from both national and state-level political organizations, and he faced a series of Democratic challengers as well as minor-party and independent candidates. In the 2004 election, in addition to the major-party candidates, Socialist Party USA candidate Gregory Pason received 574 votes in the district, and in the 2010 election James Radigan received 336 votes as a minor candidate, reflecting the presence of third-party and independent voices in contests for the seat. Garrett nonetheless maintained his position through six reelection campaigns, holding the seat in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014, before encountering a particularly strong challenge in 2016.

In the 2016 general election, Garrett sought an eighth term but was defeated by Democrat Josh Gottheimer, a former Clinton administration official and corporate executive. The race was closely watched nationally as an indicator of shifting political dynamics in suburban and exurban districts in the Northeast. Garrett’s loss made him the only incumbent member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey to be defeated that year, marking the end of his fourteen-year tenure in Congress. His departure from the House closed a significant chapter in his public service, during which he had become one of the most prominent conservative representatives from New Jersey and a notable figure in national debates over fiscal and regulatory policy.

Following his congressional service, Garrett remained engaged in federal policy and financial regulatory matters. On June 19, 2017, President Donald J. Trump nominated him to serve as chairman and president of the Export–Import Bank of the United States, a position requiring confirmation by the United States Senate. His nomination drew scrutiny and opposition from some senators and business groups, in part because of his prior criticism of the Export–Import Bank while in Congress. On December 19, 2017, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs voted 10–13 against advancing his nomination, effectively blocking his appointment. Subsequently, Garrett was hired into an excepted service position in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he continued his involvement in financial regulatory issues in a legal and advisory capacity.