The father of Rep. Tom Kean Jr., former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, gave an update on his son’s extended absence from Congress, saying Kean Jr. is suffering from a “serious” undisclosed illness but is expected to fully recover.
“He’ll be back home. When he can start to go to Congress again, that’s something the doctor wants to reserve judgement on,” Kean Sr. told NJ.com.
The former governor said his son is under a doctor’s care but could be “out” in two to three weeks.
“Any time you’ve been through a serious illness, you can’t be 100% the day you get back. You’re gonna be able to do things, but gradually ramping up,” Kean Sr. said.
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Kean Jr., 57, has not cast a vote since March 5, but the New Jersey Republican has continued to post on social media and even make several personal stock trades, as reported by NOTUS in April.
Kean Jr. initially broke his silence in a statement on April 27, saying a “personal medical issue” was to blame for his lengthy hiatus from the Capitol.
“My doctors continue to assure me that my recovery will be complete and that I will be back to the job I love very soon. I expect to return to a full schedule and be at 100 percent,” Kean Jr. said.
Election records show that Kean Jr. is running unopposed for a third term in the June 2 Republican primary for his seat. The Cook Political Report rates this race as a “toss up,” noting the district’s long-term trend away from Republicans.
Kean Sr. tentatively confirmed his son’s plans to stay in the election: “I think that’s the way he’s going, yeah,” he told NJ.com.
The congressman’s absence complicates the very slim majority Republicans hold in the House, and GOP leadership has taken notice.
“It’s a personal thing, and obviously I told him that we’re praying for him, and I need him to get back as soon as he can,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said last week. Johnson reportedly spoke to Kean Jr. two weeks ago and said the congressman “sounded great.”
Kean Jr. isn’t the only member of Congress under scrutiny for a lengthy string of missed votes. Rep. Frederica Wilson, an 83-year-old Democrat from Florida serving her seventh term, reportedly told district allies that she plans to seek reelection despite missing a month of votes this spring.
“What she just told me is that she’s running for reelection ... she’s not retiring,” Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones, who is from Wilson’s district, told Axios.
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