Republican Member of Congress Has Gone Missing for Weeks

A Republican representative in New Jersey facing a tough reelection fight is nowhere to be found. Representative Tom Kean Jr. represents the Garden State’s 7th district, its most divided. President Trump carried it by one point in 2024, and Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill won it by two points last year. But for more than a month, Kean hasn’t been in Washington, missing almost 50 roll call votes. The last time he cast a vote was March 5.The state’s two other Republicans in Congress, Representatives Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, have tried to call and text him to no avail, with Van Drew telling Politico it’s been “radio silence.” New York Republicans also told the publication they’ve been getting the same results. Fellow Republican Representative Don Bacon didn’t even know Kean was missing until he tried to find him on the House floor Tuesday. “I was looking for him,” Bacon said Wednesday. “I didn’t know it was that long.”Kean’s staff told Politico that the 57-year-old congressman is having health issues, but wouldn’t elaborate. “I know the congressman and his family appreciate all of the well wishes and support,” a consultant for Kean, Harrison Neely, said. “Please know that he will be back on a regular full schedule very soon.”Kean’s absence comes at a tough time for Republicans, as Trump’s unpopularity has led to election losses across the country in the past year, including in New Jersey. In Kean’s district, the Trump administration is opening an immigrant detention facility and has also canceled funding for an infrastructure project for the state’s commuters, neither of which help his reelection prospects. Amidst worries about Kean’s health, his congressional seat is in a very precarious position.