Key facts
- Republican Tom Kean Jr. is expected to return to Congress on Tuesday.
- Kean has been absent for nearly four months due to an unspecified medical condition.
- He missed over 100 votes in Congress this year.
- His absence has posed challenges for House Republican leaders managing their slim majority.
- Kean is running for reelection in a competitive district.
Tom Kean Jr., a Republican Congressman from New Jersey, is slated to return to Washington on Tuesday after an unexplained absence of nearly four months. Kean, 57, has been away from Congress due to a personal medical issue, missing over 100 votes this year. His prolonged absence has raised speculation and presented challenges for House Republican leadership, which operates with a slim majority.
Kean's office has stated that he is recovering and intends to be transparent about the reasons for his absence upon his return. He last voted in the House on March 5. Despite his absence from public view and Washington, Kean has secured the Republican nomination for reelection in his competitive district, which includes President Donald Trump's Bedminster golf club. He is set to face Democratic nominee Rebecca Bennett in November.
The district Kean represents has a history of changing hands in midterm elections, making it a key target for Democrats. His father, Tom Kean Sr., is a former two-term governor of New Jersey.