Tom Kean Jr. Misses 100 Votes as New Jersey Voters Press for Answers on 3-Month Absence
Updated
Updated · PBS NewsHour · Jun 1
Tom Kean Jr. Misses 100 Votes as New Jersey Voters Press for Answers on 3-Month Absence
3 articles · Updated · PBS NewsHour · Jun 1
More than 100 missed House votes since March 5 have turned Rep. Tom Kean Jr.'s medical absence into a growing issue in New Jersey's 7th District, where voters say they still lack basic answers.
Kean's campaign says he suffered a medical emergency, remains on track to seek reelection and will return to a full schedule "very soon," while House Speaker Mike Johnson has also said he expects Kean back.
The silence matters politically because Kean holds a swing district Democrats are targeting, and he faces no Republican primary challenger ahead of Tuesday's nomination vote.
Democratic candidates have accused Kean of disappearing from the job, while Republicans such as state Sen. Jon Bramnick say the prolonged absence suggests something serious and has fueled questions about a possible replacement if Kean steps down.
Even with a cash advantage and months before November, analysts say the bigger test may be less the spring absence itself than how effective Kean is once he returns.