New Jersey Representative Tom Kean Jr. has not been seen at the U.S. Capitol for over a month, missing dozens of floor votes and leaving his fellow Republican lawmakers searching for answers.
Since casting his last vote on March 5, the first-term congressman from the state’s seventh district has missed nearly 50 roll calls. Data from GovTrack indicates that Kean has been absent for more than 20% of all House votes between January and March 2026.
The prolonged absence has sparked concern among his Garden State colleagues. Representatives Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew both reported that their attempts to reach Kean via phone calls and text messages have been met with “radio silence,” according to POLITICO.
While the Republican conference has yet to formally meet to discuss the situation, those close to Kean’s office and campaign staff told reporters that the congressman is dealing with unannounced, unspecified health challenges. They expect him to return to his duties within the next few weeks.
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Bill Palatucci, a Republican National Committee member and attorney for the Kean campaign, addressed the situation, telling POLITICO, “Everyone understands from their own family experiences that people run into unexpected health issues. Voters will be completely sympathetic, and it’s so early in the year that it will be long forgotten come the fall.”
This disappearance comes at a high-stakes moment for the Republican party as they defend a razor-thin House majority. Kean represents a highly competitive swing district that has seen shifting political winds over the last several cycles.
While Donald Trump carried the seventh district by a single percentage point in the 2024 presidential election, he had previously lost it by four points in 2020. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report currently lists Kean’s seat as a “toss-up,” citing a difficult political environment and a long-term trend of the district moving away from the GOP.
The political landscape in New Jersey is also shifting nearby. In the 11th district, progressives recently secured a win as former union director Analilia Mejia defeated more moderate competition in the wake of Governor Mikie Sherrill vacating her seat. Mejia went on to win the special election with 60% of the vote.
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