Rep. Tom Kean Jr. is missing from Congress.
The Republican U.S. representative, representing New Jersey’s 7th congressional district since 2023, has not been seen since March 5, nor attended any public events.
His party is concerned both for his wellbeing, and that his absence could possibly cost them the majority in the House.
“No one knows where he is and, from my understanding, the speaker doesn’t know what the exact situation is. Just as there’s no room for error in the congressional majority, there’s no room for error in this congressional race,” Doug Heye, former aide to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, told the Washington Post.
He vaguely issued a statement last month, citing “a personal medical issue” at the end of April.
“My doctors are confident that I’m on the road to a full recovery,” he later told the New Jersey Globe in May without providing more details about the medical issue.
“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,” he went on to say.
Kean is currently running unopposed in the New Jersey Republican primary on June 2.
Rebecca Bennett, a leading Democrat who may be challenging the politician for the seat in November, also spoke out about his absence to the Washington Post.
“I sincerely wish him well. I hope he has a speedy recovery. I certainly would have been more transparent about this if I was our member of Congress. And I think we do need to have rules about disclosure, both from a financial perspective as well as if you’re going to have some sort of extended absence. He is never around, he’s not on the ground, he doesn’t meet with voters, and he doesn’t meet with constituents. And so, to me, this is just an extension of how he’s been in office from the beginning.”
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