The congressman hasn’t cast a vote since March, but faces no Republican challenger and says he expects a full recovery
Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has missed more than 100 consecutive House votes due to an undisclosed illness, yet is set to cruise through his June 2 Republican primary unopposed — raising urgent questions about transparency, representation, and the stability of a razor-thin House majority.
Kean, 57, last voted on March 5. He has since been absent from both Capitol Hill and the campaign trail, with neither his office nor his family disclosing the nature of his condition. He is seeking a third term representing New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, a competitive swing seat that Democrats have already identified as a top target.
“My doctors are confident that I’m on the road to a full recovery,” Kean told the New Jersey Globe, adding that he expects to return to Congress in the “next couple of weeks.” He acknowledged “the need for public transparency” but offered no further details.
A Seat That Could Decide the House Majority
New Jersey’s 7th District is the only New Jersey Republican seat listed on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Districts in Play” target list, underscoring how pivotal the race is for both parties heading into November.
Republicans currently hold the House by a historically narrow margin, and Kean’s absence has amplified anxiety within GOP ranks. His votes — or lack thereof — matter at a moment when leadership is preparing to advance several major pieces of legislation.
Coming votes include:
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson told reporters that Kean informed him by phone he would return to Capitol Hill sometime in June. Hudson said Kean thanked him for “giving him space to recover.”
Republicans Raise Alarm Over Lack of Disclosure
Not all Republicans have been so patient. Michael Crispi, a Republican operative, told the Washington Examiner that the situation has been mishandled at the expense of both constituents and the party.
“It is so unfair to the people who pay his salary, it is so unfair to the Republican caucus that he’s not being transparent on what’s going on,” Crispi said. “I’ve never seen this level of cover-up ever, except for during Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.”
Kean’s father, former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean Sr., confirmed to CNN that his son is “under the care of a doctor” and recovering from a “serious, but temporary illness,” while declining to elaborate. The RNC’s Northeast regional communications director, Kristen Cianci, said the campaign has “staffed up in the district” and remains “fully committed to his re-election in November.”
Democrats Smell Opportunity
Four Democrats are competing in the primary to challenge Kean in November:
The DCCC wasted no time sharpening its message. “Career politician Tom Kean Jr. has never been more vulnerable,” spokesman Eli Cousin said in a statement. “He will be held accountable for betraying New Jersey families and for the damage he has inflicted when he’s actually been in Washington to vote.”
The prolonged absence — with no medical disclosure, no public appearances, and over 100 missed votes — raises legitimate questions that Kean’s constituents deserve answered. Voters in a competitive swing district are entitled to know whether their representative is capable of serving the term they are being asked to grant him.