Rep. Tom Kean Jr. hasn’t cast a vote in Congress in three months. He didn’t campaign. He didn’t appear in public. He didn’t even disclose where he was or why he left.
He still easily won his primary Tuesday without a single opponent.
The 57-year-old New Jersey Republican, who has been absent from Capitol Hill since March 5 due to an undisclosed medical condition, ran unopposed in his party’s primary and issued a statement Tuesday saying he’s in New Jersey but vowing a return to Washington “within a matter of weeks.”
“I am more energized than ever to keep fighting for the people of New Jersey’s 7th District,” Kean said. “Right now I am focused on my recovery and under the advice of healthcare professionals I will transition from virtual work to in-person work within a matter of weeks. At that time I will be completely transparent as to the nature of my medical condition.”
Kean acknowledged what his constituents have been waiting to hear.
“I understand the need for transparency on this matter,” he said, and said he’ll share everything with the public upon his return.
President Donald Trump personally endorsed Kean on Truth Social the night before the primary, calling him “a strong supporter of my America First Agenda” who is “working tirelessly” for New Jersey families.
“Tom Kean has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election,” Trump wrote.
The endorsement and uncontested primary offered Kean a political lifeline after he has missed more than 100 votes since March 5, according to House records. Even some of his closest congressional colleagues say they have not been able to reach him.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has spoken to Kean privately but has not disclosed the nature of his condition.
His father, former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean Sr., told CNN his son is recovering from what he described as “a serious but temporary illness” and has been seen by multiple doctors.
“He’s hopefully coming back soon and he’s under the care of a doctor,” the elder Kean said.
Johnson has tried to project calm publicly while privately acknowledging the situation is a political problem.
“Like everyone, sometimes things happen that are out of our control. We have medical issues. We’ve got to deal with them,” the speaker said. But with Republicans holding a razor-thin House majority, every absent vote carries outsized consequences.
The stakes in November are significant. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already targeted Kean’s seat as one of 35 Republican-held districts it intends to flip. Kean’s Democratic general election opponent will be Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot who won Tuesday’s Democratic primary over three other candidates.
Kean was first elected in 2022 and represents a large, affluent suburban district centered in Bergen County, a swing seat that could help determine the House majority. He won re-election in 2024 by a narrow margin.