Kean Files Five Trades Amid Tom Kean Jr Absence Impact
Tom Kean Jr absence impact sharpened Friday when Rep. Thomas Kean signed a congressional disclosure form acknowledging five stock trades while he has been away from the House since March 5. He has now missed more than 100 votes, even as he tells allies he expects to return within the next couple of weeks.
Thomas Kean Trade Filing
Kean signed off on five stock trades between April 14 and May 17, according to the disclosure form. The filing came while he remained absent from Congress and after he last voted on March 5.
That gap has stretched through a stretch of House business in which he has been unavailable for roll calls. Kean has said he is dealing with a personal health matter and has offered few details about his absence.
Mike Johnson On Kean
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday that he last spoke to Kean on the phone a few weeks ago. Johnson added, "I don’t even know the details, and I respect that. It’s members’ personal privacy on whatever matters they’re dealing with," putting the Speaker in the position of acknowledging the absence without filling in its cause.
Kean has not been photographed in public in weeks, and no public sightings have been reported. He also canceled a speaking event Thursday at the Morris County Chamber of Commerce breakfast, another sign that the absence has continued beyond his House duties.
New Jersey Reelection Race
Kean began making calls to fellow Republicans in New Jersey last week to assure them his reelection campaign is moving forward. He is running for a third term in a competitive district Democrats hope to flip, while also facing a June 2 primary.
He won the seat in 2022, flipping it from blue to red, and won reelection in 2024 by six points. Kean has said his doctors are confident he will make a full recovery and that he expects to return to voting and to the campaign trail within the next couple of weeks.
For House work, the practical effect is simple: Kean is still counted in the race for his seat, but he has not been available to vote for more than 100 roll calls since March 5. For voters in New Jersey’s district, the next developments are whether he resumes House voting and whether he reappears on the campaign trail as he has said he expects.
