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Rep. Tom Kean Jr., RN.J., said Thursday he expects to return to Congress “in the next few weeks” after losing 100 consecutive House votes during a lengthy absence related to what his office described only as a “personal health issue.”
“My doctors are hopeful that I’m on the road to a full recovery,” Kean, 57, told the New Jersey Globe in his first public comments since leaving Capitol Hill in March.
“I understand the need to be transparent to the public, and I appreciate the support of those I voted for,” he added. “I expect that in the next few weeks, I will be back to voting and campaigning.”
Kean last voted on March 5 and has missed House votes since then, according to GovTrack. His absence drew a lot of attention because Republicans have a slim majority in the House and because Kean represents one of the most competitive congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
TOM KEAN JR’S LONG-TERM ABSENCE PUT PRESSURE ON RAZOR-THIN MASSIVE SPEECH FOR HOUSE REPUBLICANS
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., RN.J., is running for a third term in the House in 2026 after fending off Democratic opponents in previous election cycles. (Getty Images)
His office has repeatedly refused to disclose details about the illness, saying only that the conference is focused on recovery and that he is expected to return “soon.” Fox News Digital has reached out to a representative for Kean for further comment.
Last week, Kean’s father, former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean Sr., told NJ.com that his son was recovering from a “very serious illness.”
“You can’t say for sure, but their best guess right now is that he’ll be out in two or three weeks,” Kean Sr. said, referring to the doctors treating his son. “Anytime you’ve been seriously ill, you can’t be 100% the day you come back. You’ll be able to do things, but you’re slowly getting better.”
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Tom Kean Jr., GOP candidate for New Jersey’s 7th District, speaks at his election night party in Basking Ridge, NJ, on Nov. 8, 2022. (Stefan Jeremiah/AP)
Kean Sr also said that doctors expect his son to make a full recovery but refused to discuss the disease.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters this week that he spoke with Kean recently but did not know details about the congressional situation.
“We expect him to come back here soon. He has a health problem,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “I don’t even know the details.”
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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill as House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., listens. (Mariam Zuhaib/AP)
Absenteeism has become a growing political issue in New Jersey as Democrats target Kean’s district. Kean is running unopposed in the Republican primary on June 2, while several Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination.
Earlier this month, Kean’s top aide told the New York Times, “There are no cameras where Tom is.”
Kean’s liaison, Harrison Neely, said this week that the congressman is still determined to seek re-election.
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“What I can tell you is that the congressman is dealing with a health problem. He is focused on his recovery,” Neely told the New York Post.
Adam Pack of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
