‘Missing’ Republican lawmaker Tom Kean Jr. is returning to Congress after long unexplained absence
New Jersey Republican Tom Kean Jr. is set to re-enter the public eye Tuesday after nearly four months away from Congress, an absence attributed to an unspecified medical condition.
Speculation has mounted regarding the health of the 57-year-old second-term lawmaker, who hails from a prominent political family.
Kean has missed more than 100 votes in Congress this year and has not been seen publicly in Washington or his home district, despite securing the Republican nomination for another term.
His spokesman said that the congressman will return to work on Tuesday and intends to be transparent about the reasons for his prolonged absence.
Last week, Kean briefly spoke with a New York Times reporter at his home, declining an interview but promising to speak later.
The mystery surrounding Kean’s disappearance carries significant political weight, particularly given the competitive nature of his district, which includes President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club, and the Republican Party’s slim majority in the House.
Kean is actively campaigning for re-election and is set to face Democratic nominee Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, in what is anticipated to be New Jersey’s most high-profile contest this November.
Democrats have identified this district as a prime opportunity for a pick-up, noting that the seat has changed hands in the last two midterm elections. Kean secured his victory in 2022 by defeating Democrat Tom Malinowski, who had previously unseated Republican Leonard Lance in 2018.
Kean last voted in the House on March 5, but his absence wasn’t explained.
In April, his social media account said he had been dealing with a personal medical issue and his doctors expected him to recover.
Kean’s absence has also complicated matters for House Republican leaders, who are struggling every day to pass bills with their razor-thin majority, 218-212. Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP leaders repeatedly told reporters they were in touch with Kean, but said he would have to address the circumstances himself.
Trump has endorsed Kean’s reelection, without mentioning his absence.
Kean comes from a long line of public servants, stretching 250 years to the country’s founding when one of his ancestors became New Jersey’s first leader since independence.
His great-grandfather was a senator, his grandfather was a congressman and his father is the former two-term governor, Tom Kean Sr.
