Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s nearly four-month absence from Congress finally has an explanation—sort of. The New Jersey Republican returned to the Capitol Tuesday and revealed on the House floor that he had been hospitalized for depression.
“Several months ago due to health concerns I entered the hospital for some testing. I did not believe that this would result in a long-term stay. I was given the diagnosis of depression,” Kean said in remarks ahead of the Independence Day recess, according to The Hill.
It’s the most direct answer yet to a question that had been building for months. NJ Digest first reported on Kean’s absence in April, and the silence from his office only deepened from there—at one point, his chief of staff told the New York Times there were “no cameras where Tom is.” A later report found his office had inserted undelivered speeches into the Congressional Record and reposted old social media content, fueling further scrutiny over his absence, which stretched beyond 100 days.
Kean, 57, returned to his Westfield home last week, the New York Post reported, but declined to discuss specifics, telling a reporter, “It’s good to see you. I’ll talk to you next week.” His top adviser, Harrison Neely, said Kean would be “fully transparent” upon his return to work.
The timing puts the explanation just ahead of a competitive reelection fight. Kean, who secured an endorsement from President Trump earlier this month, faces Democrat Rebecca Bennett. The seat is seen as a prime pick-up opportunity for Democrats in November.
After months of speculation, the mystery is solved. Whether it satisfies Kean’s critics is a different question.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.