Thomas Kean Jr. Returns to Congress After Months Away, Skips 2026 Campaign Trail
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16
Thomas Kean Jr. Returns to Congress After Months Away, Skips 2026 Campaign Trail
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16
Summary
Thomas Kean Jr. has resumed work on Capitol Hill after a monthslong absence but has repeatedly ignored questions about his return and his re-election plans.
June 30 marked his public explanation for the gap, when the New Jersey Republican said on the House floor that he had been hospitalized for depression.
Two weeks after reappearing in Congress, aides still have not provided a campaign schedule, and Kean has not followed his return with media interviews.
New Jersey Republicans say they know little about his local plans: Sussex County's chair is still waiting for dates, while Warren County expects him at a county fair in late July.
The silence leaves unusual uncertainty around an incumbent running in one of the country's most competitive House races.