Representative Tom Kean Jr. from New Jersey has not been seen in public for nearly three months, raising questions as he remains a candidate in the upcoming New Jersey primary. This situation began to unfold in March when a political website reported that Kean had missed a week’s worth of votes in Washington.
The last time Kean voted in Congress was on March 5. Initially, a few missed votes did not raise concerns. However, after the Easter recess, his two Republican colleagues from New Jersey expressed that they were unaware of his whereabouts. Subsequently, other Republican leaders voiced their frustrations over unanswered messages sent to Kean. His chief of staff, Dan Scharfenberger, told The New York Times in May that, “There’s no cameras where Tom is.”
As the congressional primary on Tuesday approaches, where Kean faces no Republican opponent, his campaign activity has been limited to phone calls. He contacted a political journalist in New Jersey and some Republican leaders in his district. Joe LaBarbera, the chairman of the Republican Party in Sussex County, recounted that when asked if Kean needed anything, he replied, “Just your prayers.”
His aides have attributed his absence to a “personal medical issue,” without providing further details. They assure, however, that he is expected to recover and return to work soon. On the day of the primary, the mystery around his disappearance remains unsolved, despite efforts to clarify the situation.