Rep. Tom Kean Jr., the New Jersey Republican who has been missing from Capitol Hill since March 5, will return to work later this month — 117 days after his last vote.
Harrison Neely, a spokesperson for Kean, said the 57-year-old lawmaker plans to attend the June 30 House session. It is the first time Kean’s office has provided a specific date for his return.
Neely did not disclose any further details about Kean’s extended absence, which his team has attributed to an undisclosed health issue. In written statements throughout his absence, staff have promised he would return to work “soon.”
“Congressman Kean is eager to return to in person work on June 30 and resume a full schedule,” Neely said, adding that Kean “plans to be fully transparent regarding the nature of his health issue and you should expect to hear from him in person June 30th.”
The New Jersey Globe first reported on the return date.
As Kean was missing scores of votes, House GOP leaders had to contend with an even thinner majority than they already had. He now returns to face a highly competitive race to keep his seat in November, with national groups heavily backing Democratic nominee Rebecca Bennett.
Kean’s lack of voting or public appearances, along with the mystery surrounding his illness, have turned his absence into a national news story.
Reporters have staked out the missing lawmaker’s house, with one even traveling to a Kean family vacation home on an exclusive island in Long Island Sound after hearing rumors that they might find him there.
It has become unwelcome news for Republicans, who were already expected to have a tough time defending Kean’s seat in the current political environment.
Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot whose resume echoes New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill — who won the state by a landslide in 2025 — won the Democratic nomination earlier this month to take on Kean. There were signs Republicans would have preferred Kean run against one of her three primary opponents, including $650,000 in spending to boost Bennett’s rivals from a super PAC with Republican ties.
Kean has high name recognition as the son of Tom Kean Sr., the most popular former New Jersey governor of modern times. That has helped give him a moderate aura, even as he publicly embraced the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
Kean, however, has never been known for personal accessibility. He has not held an in-person town hall meeting since his first election to Congress in 2022, and his single debate performance in 2024 was at times halting and awkward.
Bennett has mostly held off on criticizing Kean’s absence, but other Democrats haven’t. Your Community PAC, a Democratic super PAC, this month spent $289,000 on ads highlighting the issue.
“I sincerely wish him well. I hope he has a good recovery. But he’s absolutely failed this district, so we’re going to hold him accountable for his voting record,” Bennett said in a June 3 phone interview. “It wasn’t like he was doing anything for us when he was showing up for work versus when he was not.”
Read the full article here