Tom Kean Jr. Misses More Than 100 Votes as Medical Absence Continues in New Jersey

Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. has missed more than 100 votes in Congress and has not been seen in Washington or his New Jersey district since his last vote on March 5, as his prolonged and unexplained medical absence continues.

In an April statement, Kean said on X that he was addressing "a personal medical issue," and House Speaker Mike Johnson told New Jersey Spotlight News that he had spoken to Kean on the phone on April 23 and that Kean "expects to be back to 100% very soon."

CBS News

The political fallout is centered on New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, which includes Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster and is among Democrats' top targets as they try to retake control of Congress.

PBS reported that at a town hall in Westfield, N.J., Steve McCabe, an 80-year-old retired lawyer, asked GOP state senator Jon Bramnick, "What's the word?" about Kean’s absence.

CNN reported that Kean is running unopposed in his primary on Tuesday, seeking a third term in one of the nation’s most competitive seats while it remains unclear when he might return to work on Capitol Hill.

In Westfield, N.J., Bramnick told the audience he had no answer for Kean's unexplained medical absence that had stretched over nearly three months, and he recalled that Kean hated to miss votes even when it meant driving through a snowstorm.

Harrison Neely, Kean's campaign consultant, said the congressman was dealing with a medical emergency and promised Kean would be transparent and return to a full schedule "very soon," adding, "This was an emergency, you don't get to plan these."

CNN

Democratic candidates in the primary have seized on the absence as a central issue, with Michael Roth saying, "If you were missing work, you would tell your boss, and Tom Kean Jr.'s boss is the people."

CNN reported that Kean’s colleagues are worried about his health and how the unexplained absence could complicate the GOP’s ability to hold onto a critical swing seat, while multiple aides in Kean’s office did not respond to requests for comment from CNN.

The Washington Post framed the situation as a growing alarm inside the GOP, saying Republicans fear Kean’s prolonged absence could cost them his swing seat — and possibly their House majority.

The stakes are tied to the timing of the primary and the general election, with Newsweek reporting that after the June 2 primary, the general election takes place on November 3, 2026.

Prediction market data cited by Newsweek put the Democratic Party at a 75 percent chance of winning the seat on Polymarket, while the GOP carries odds of 14 percent, and Kalshi puts Democratic chances at around 78 percent with Republicans at 22 percent as Tuesday midday.

CNN reported that Republicans are privately raising questions about what happens if Kean is forced to drop out of the race after the primary, noting that under New Jersey law a post-primary vacancy would be filled by the state’s GOP county committee leaders.

Kean’s absence is also being treated as a potential operational risk for House Republicans, with CNN describing how Speaker Mike Johnson and his team have been navigating their reed-thin margins without him since early March.

Time reported that Kean told the New Jersey Globe he would come back to work "in the next couple of weeks," while Johnson said on Wednesday that he spoke to Kean on a call "a few weeks ago."