Thomas Kean Jr. Misses Washington Votes Since March 5
Thomas Kean Jr. has not voted in Washington since March 5, leaving the Republican representative from New Jersey’s Seventh District absent for more than two months. A May 28 breakfast appearance in Morris County was also pulled from the program because of ongoing health concerns.
Kean’s office said in a written statement two weeks ago that he was dealing with a medical issue and would be back very soon. His social media accounts have stayed active during the absence, even as he has not been seen on the campaign trail in his reelection race.
Morris County Chamber Program
The Morris County Chamber of Commerce amended its May 28 breakfast meeting focused on Washington policies after Kean was dropped as a speaker. A notice on the chamber’s website said he would be unable to appear because of his ongoing health concerns.
The change gave a concrete public sign of the length of the absence. Kean had last cast a vote on March 5, and the chamber event had been one of the public appearances on his schedule.
New Jersey's Seventh District
Kean is running for reelection in New Jersey’s Seventh District, where Democrats have already targeted the seat. The district is one of the party’s best pickup opportunities in November, according to national Democratic officials, which makes his time away from Washington a live issue in the race.
At Tuesday’s debate, Brian Varela said, “Look, at the end of the day you’re a public servant,” and added, “And while I don’t think you need to be putting your own personal medical history out there, you at the very least have a responsibility to be communicating with your constituents and with your district.” Dan Scharfenberger said, “He’s dealing with a personal health condition, and he’ll be back soon.” Harrison Neely said, “He’s going to be totally fine, and he’ll be back to a full schedule soon.”
The immediate question for voters in the district is not the diagnosis but the schedule. Kean has been absent from votes, from the trail and now from a May 28 public appearance, and his campaign team has tied the interruption to health concerns while saying he will return soon.
