Democrats Point to Tom Kean's Absences in Push to Flip New Jersey Seat

Democratic candidates are raising Republican Representative Tom Kean Jr.'s prolonged absence from Congress as an issue in efforts to flip his competitive New Jersey House seat.

Kean has missed weeks of votes while offering limited public updates, raising questions about transparency and representation in a closely contested district. Voters and party strategists alike are watching how the absence could shape the race ahead of November.

Kean has not voted in the House since March 5 due to what his office has described only as a "personal health matter," with no clear timeline for his return, while challengers say constituents deserve more information.

"If you were missing work, you would tell your boss, and Tom Kean Jr.'s boss is the people. He did not tell us. That's it. And in the time that he did not show up for work, he has raised more than $600,000 just from corporate PACs alone. That tells you who his boss is," Michael Roth, one of four Democrats in the June 2 primary, told the New Jersey Mirror. "It is time that we get a member of Congress who will show up."

This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 12:39 PM.