WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY — Rep. Tom Kean Jr. has been absent from Congress since March 5, 2026, missing more than 100 House votes as of May 2026 due to a medical emergency. Kean, who represents New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, has not been seen in Washington, D.C., or his district since that date.

Kean confirmed in a phone interview with The New Jersey Globe that he remains in the race for reelection and is unopposed in the Republican primary held on June 2, 2026. He told the publication, “My doctors are confident that I’m on the road to a full recovery.”

Harrison Neely, Kean’s campaign consultant, said the absence stemmed from an unforeseen health issue. “This was an emergency, you don’t get to plan these. There’s no good timing for this,” Neely said.

Democratic candidate Michael Roth, a former Small Business Administration official, criticized Kean’s extended absence, saying, “Tom Kean disappeared from the job.”

Kean maintained limited contact with local party leaders during his absence. In May 2026, he called Republican county chairmen Joe LaBarbera and Carlos Santos. When asked what he needed, Kean responded to LaBarbera, “Just your prayers.”

Public records show Kean signed a congressional stock transaction form on May 24, 2026, disclosing five trades executed in April 2026. Those trades occurred in the days before he issued a public statement on April 27 acknowledging a personal medical issue.

New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District was redrawn after the 2021 census to favor Republicans and includes President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf course. Kean defeated Democrat Tom Malinowski in the 2022 election to win the seat. Malinowski had previously unseated Republican Leonard Lance in 2018.