Republican New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean Jr. will return to Congress on June 30 after a months-long absence, a spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation Thursday.
Kean has been missing for over three months due to a purported illness, though he has yet to disclose what illness he suffered from. The congressman’s spokesperson, Harrison Neely, said Kean is planning to return to Congress in-person and “resume a full schedule” at the end of June.
“Congressman Kean is eager to return to in person work on June 30 and resume a full schedule,” Neely told the DCNF.
UPDATE on Tom Kean Jr:
“Congressman Kean is eager to return to in person work on June 30 and resume a full schedule,” Kean spokesperson Harrison Neely just told me. @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/Xfhjj0s7P7
— Nicole Silverio (@NicoleMSilverio) June 18, 2026
Kean last voted on March 5 and has missed every roll call vote in the House since that date. He also missed 20% of the votes between January and March, according to GovTrack. Despite his long absence, the congressman is running for reelection in New Jersey’s seventh district and will face a tight race against Democratic candidate Rebecca Bennett.
The district flipped Republican in 2022 due to redistricting, though it leans slightly Democratic in voter registration.
Kean traded stocks during his absence, with financial records showing that he bought and sold shares of eight different stocks between March 10 and March 31, including Johnson & Johnson, Amcor, Chubb Limited and First Citizens BancShares. The combined value of the trades ranged from $50,008 to $190,000.
The New Jersey congressman also signed at least two documents approving the travel of his chief of staff, Daniel J. Scharfenberger, on March 13 and March 14.
President Donald Trump endorsed the missing congressman on June 2 and claimed he is “working tirelessly” to achieve the Republican agenda.
“A Tremendous Advocate of our America First Agenda, Tom is working tirelessly to Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Champion Small Business, Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Support our Brave Military and Veterans, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Kean told the New Jersey Globe in May that he expected to return to Capitol Hill for roll call votes in the near future. He said he was expected to make a full recovery and would disclose the details at a later date.
Many of Kean’s colleagues on Capitol Hill had not heard from him. However, Kean spoke to Republican leaders in his state in May, including Union County Republican Chair Carlos Santos, who told Politico that Kean “sounded good” on the phone. Tracy DiFrancesco, the GOP chair of Somerset County, also said Kean is “perfectly fine” and should return to the campaign trail in the near future.
(DCNF)
