TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Republican Congressman Tom Kean Jr. is expected to return to public life after nearly four months away, ending months of speculation surrounding an unspecified medical condition that kept him from Washington.
Kean, 57, is a second-term lawmaker from a prominent New Jersey political family. He represents a competitive district that includes President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club. Since his last House vote on March 5, he has missed more than 100 congressional votes and has not been spotted publicly — either in Washington or back home in his district — even after winning the Republican nomination for another term.
A spokesman for Kean confirmed the congressman would be back at work Tuesday and would be open about what led to his extended absence. Last week, a reporter from the New York Times knocked on his door at home, and Kean answered but declined to speak, saying only that he would talk at a later time.
In April, a post on his social media account acknowledged he had been dealing with a personal medical issue, adding that his doctors expected him to make a full recovery.
The prolonged absence has raised political concerns, given the closely contested nature of his district and the Republican Party’s extremely narrow hold on the House — currently 218-212. Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP leaders told reporters they had been in contact with Kean but said it was up to him to explain the situation publicly.
Kean is still in the running for reelection and will face Democratic nominee Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, in what is considered New Jersey’s most closely watched race this November. Democrats have identified the district as a top opportunity to flip a seat, as it has changed party hands in each of the last two midterm elections. Kean won the seat in 2022 by defeating Democrat Tom Malinowski, who had previously taken it from Republican Leonard Lance in 2018.
President Trump has thrown his support behind Kean’s reelection bid, though he has not addressed the congressman’s absence.
Kean comes from a family with deep roots in public service stretching back roughly 250 years to the nation’s founding, when an ancestor became New Jersey’s first leader following independence. His great-grandfather served as a U.S. senator, his grandfather was a congressman, and his father, Tom Kean Sr., served two terms as governor of New Jersey.
