Last week, The Horn News reported that Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from Capitol Hill since March.
Now the longtime Republican lawmaker has suddenly returned and given a less-than-thorough explanation of his whereabouts.
After weeks of vague explanations from his office that he was dealing with a health problem, Kean addressed his bizarre absence from Congress yesterday after skipping 100 votes in a row.
The New Jersey Republican declined to elaborate on his vague explanations that he was dealing with a “personal medical issue” or give a timeline for when he plans to return to work, other than “in the next couple of weeks.”
“My doctors are confident that I’m on the road to a full recovery,” Kean, 57, told the New Jersey Globe in his first known interview in his 77-day disappearance from work.
“I understand the need for public transparency, and I appreciate the support of my constituents.
“I anticipate that in the next couple of weeks, I’ll return to voting and to the campaign trail.”
NJ Globe: Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ) says he’ll be expects full recovery, confirms re-election bid
“My doctors are confident that I’m on the road to a full recovery,” said Kean in a lengthy telephone interview this afternoon. “I understand the need for public transparency, and I…
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) May 21, 2026
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who claims to have spoken directly to Kean “a few weeks ago,” admitted that he has very little idea what’s going on with him.
“We’re expecting him back here soon. He’s had a medical issue. He’s going to be fully transparent and disclose that,” Johnson told reporters Wednesday.
“I don’t even know the details.”
However, Kean’s absence has created tension within the GOP both inside the beltway and on the ground in New Jersey because he’s up for reelection in two weeks.
Kean represents the most competitive congressional district in New Jersey and one of the most vulnerable House GOP seats in the country.
The primary is less than two weeks away on June 2, and Republicans don’t have a solid backup plan. Finding a replacement after the primary would be complex.
“Everybody I’m talking to is just shocked at how poorly this is being handled by the Kean operation,” a New Jersey-based GOP consultant vented to The New York Post. “It’s created an air of mystery that’s fueled the story, or frankly, created the story.”
“The general consensus from the people I’m talking to is that something is prohibiting him from looking at an iPhone and doing a proof of life video … saying, ‘I’m here, I’m going through something, but I’ll be back,’” the consultant added.
The Post talked to staffers at his DC office and was referred to his communications team for comment. His communications team did not respond.
“It’s almost like a textbook example of what not to do in a crisis situation like this because eventually the truth will come out,” a Republican strategist told The Post.
“It’s leading people to think the absolute worst, and the staff is tweeting like he’s actually there in Congress when he’s not.”
His father, Tom Kean Sr., the former governor of New Jersey, predicted to NJ.com his son would be back on Capitol Hill in about “two or three weeks,” noting that “[a]ny time you’ve been through a serious illness, you can’t be 100% the day you get back.”
“What I can tell you is that the congressman is dealing with a personal health matter. He is focused on his recovery,” Kean consultant Harrison Neely told The Post.
“His doctors are constantly assuring him that he is going to reach full recovery, and the timeline for that is shortly.”