WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tom Kean Jr. addressed his previously unexplained medical absence Tuesday morning on the House floor, revealing a months-long battle with depression.
“When I said I hoped to return in a matter of weeks, I believed it,” explained Kean, a former state senator and son of the popular 1980s governor. “Those were the best estimates that the doctors could provide. But as the over 48 million of my fellow Americans being treated for this illness have come to discover, there is no timeline for healing.”
“Today I stand before you healthier, stronger and excited to return to the work that I love,” Kean added.
Democrat NJ-07 nominee Rebecca Bennett claimed to be “relieved” her opponent was well in an X post, but she promptly proceeded to attack Kean’s voting record and mock the GOP incumbent’s “behavior.”
“Yet Tom Kean Jr. still somehow found time to trade stocks while missing votes. This is the self-serving culture in Washington that New Jerseyans are rejecting, and the kind of behavior they are sick and tired of from career politicians.”
The 7th Congressional District, which occupies a significant percentage of North-Central Jersey, is considered the state’s most competitive 2026 House district. Kean was reelected by 5-points in 2024, and Mikie Sherrill narrowly carried NJ-07 one year later.
Watch below:
