GOP Congressman Reveals ‘Medical Issue' After Weeks of Missed Votes
New Jersey Republican Representative Tom Kean, Jr., who has missed nearly 50 roll call votes since early March, broke his silence Monday in a statement explaining his absence as a “personal medical issue.”
The two-term congressman has not voted since March 5, prompting concern from colleagues in both parties-and questions from his New Jersey GOP colleagues, who told Politico last week they had not heard from him despite repeated calls and texts.
Newsweek reached out to Kean’s office via email on Monday for additional comment.
Why It Matters
Kean’s absence has drawn outsized attention because of his political position. He represents New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District-a large area across the northern and central part of the state that includes Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster-and his seat is among the most competitive in the country. President Donald Trump narrowly carried the district, by 1 point, in the 2024 election, but Democratic former Representative Mikie Sherrill carried it by nearly 2 points in the 2025 governor’s race. Kean himself won the district by around 5 points in 2024.
The political environment around Kean’s absence has only intensified the questions. The Trump administration is opening an immigration detention facility in his district while pulling funding for a major infrastructure project for New Jersey commuters-both of which have created political pressure on Kean ahead of the November election. A competitive Democratic primary with four prominent candidates is already underway to challenge him.
Who Is Tom Kean, Jr.?
Kean is serving his second term, where he sits on the House Energy and Commerce and Foreign Affairs Committees, according to his official biography on the U.S. House of Representatives website. The congressman represents more than 775,000 New Jersey residents and has focused on healthcare access, infrastructure, innovation and education.
A scion of one of New Jersey’s most prominent political dynasties, Kean comes from a family with deep ties to state politics. He began his career in public service as an appointee to the Environmental Protection Agency under President George H.W. Bush-where he met his wife, Rhonda-and later worked as a legislative staffer in the Washington office of New Jersey Congressman Bob Franks.
Kean was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 2001 and to the New Jersey Senate two years later, where he served 14 years as Republican leader. During his state legislative tenure, he served on Budget and Appropriations, Commerce, Judiciary, Higher Education and Health and Human Services Committees, and built a reputation as a bipartisan consensus-builder. He helped lead efforts on property tax relief, education investment and economic development, and was credited with helping create New Jersey’s brewpub industry.
Kean is a graduate of Dartmouth College and attended the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he earned a master’s degree in law and diplomacy. He completed his doctoral studies All But Dissertation (ABD) at Fletcher and lives in Westfield, New Jersey, with his wife and their two daughters.
What Happens Next
Kean did not provide a specific date for his return in Monday’s statement, saying only that he expects to return “very soon.”
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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 10:49 PM.