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By Amanda Castro, Andrew Stanton, and Leonardo Feldman
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Republican Representative Tom Kean Jr. revealed Tuesday that he has been absent from Capitol Hill for several months because he was diagnosed with depression. His disappearance came during a period when the House GOP was operating with a razor‑thin majority and preparing for a volatile midterm cycle.
His disclosure affects constituents in New Jersey’s 7th District, party leadership and the November election, as Kean returns to Washington on June 30 and promises full transparency about his condition. His absence also garnered attention because he represents a competitive swing district Democrats hope to flip in November.
Kean, 57, has missed more than 130 roll‑call votes since March 5, fueling speculation and political attacks as his office offered only limited information about what it called a “medical emergency.” Earlier this month, Kean said on X that he would soon shift from virtual work to in‑person duties and would “be completely transparent as to the nature of my medical condition.”
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Tom Kean Jr. Addresses Absence From Congress
Kean expressed gratitude for “the patience, the kindness, the prayers, and the concern that have been shown” toward his family during his absence.
“This is not an easy speech for me to give,” he said in a speech on the House floor. “I am a private person by nature, and I have spent most of my life talking about the people that I represent. The issues facing our communities and the work that continues to be done. Talking about myself has never come naturally, but I believe that I owe an explanation to the people of New Jersey's seventh district. To my colleagues in this chamber and to the American people.”
He said he entered a hospital “several months ago” to address health concerns and was given a diagnosis of depression.
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He never believed that would result in a long-term stay, he said. But his doctors recommended he remain in the hospital to address the illness as the “fastest way to recovery.” He said that while he did not believe he had time to do so, he opted to follow his doctor’s recommendations.
“When people hear the word depression, many people think it simply means feeling sad. But depression is so much more than that. It is physical. It is emotional, and until you experience it yourself. Is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be,” he said.
He said that he “believed it” when issuing statements indicating he could return within weeks, but that there is “no timeline to healing.”
“Today I stand before you healthier, stronger and excited to return to the work that I love,” Kean said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, addressed questions about whether Kean should have been more transparent about his condition and indicated he would have handled the situation differently.
“I understand Tom has given a speech on the floor this hour. I don't know exactly what he said, but I hope that he was fully transparent, as I encouraged him many times over the last few months to be,” he said. “If it were me, I would have been more specific about that.”
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Lawmakers React to Kean's Announcement
Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, urged grace for Kean in comments to Newsweek.
“I think we need to have some grace for people who have depression. I wish it was more transparent. He could have said I have a health issue....But I don't think we should be attacking someone because they have a mental health issue,” he said Tuesday.
Representative Al Green, a Texas Democrat, told Newsweek that he wanted to “hear his message before I draw a conclusion,” when asked about Kean.
Representative Seth Magaziner, a Rhode Island Democrat, told Newsweek he is “glad that he got the care he needs.”
What to Know About Depression
Depression is a condition that has impacted millions of Americans. An estimated 21 million adults in the U.S. have experienced at least one major depressive episode as of 2021, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). That represents more than 8 percent of all U.S. adults.
Depression is different from passing feelings of sadness.
“It can cause severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. It is an illness that can affect anyone—regardless of age, race, income, culture, or education,” according to NIMH.
A handful of the condition’s symptoms can include feelings of sadness or emptiness, angry outbursts, sleep disturbances, anxiety or suicidal thoughts, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Other lawmakers, including Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman, have spoken candidly about their experiences with depression. Fetterman in 2023 spent six weeks in Walter Reed Military Medical Center for clinical depression. Representative Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat, also detailed his experience with depression in an interview with Time magazine.
Kean Faces Competitive Reelection
Kean is set to face among the most competitive races in this year's midterm elections. His district, in the suburbs of North Jersey, is roughly evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, and Democrats are targeting it as a top priority this year. He is set to face Rebecca Bennett, a healthcare executive and former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, in November.
Forecasters like the Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball view the race as a toss-up.
In 2024, Kean won reelection by 5 percentage points, while President Donald Trump carried it by only about 1 point, underscoring the competitive nature of the race.
Bennett wrote on X on Tuesday that she is “relieved” Kean is well but still criticized him over the absence, specifically pointing to a May 22 period transaction report disclosing stock trades made in April amid his absence.
“Yet Tom Kean Jr. still somehow found time to trade stocks while missing votes. This is the self-serving culture in Washington that New Jerseyans are rejecting, and the kind of behavior they are sick and tired of from career politicians,” Bennett wrote.
Kean’s Absence Sparked Scrutiny
Kean’s absence raised questions about transparency in representation for the district, where constituents went months without knowing the condition of their congressman.
Bennett has criticized Kean amid the absence, saying in a video posted to X that he was “nowhere to be found” when Trump began the Iran war or when the Department of Homeland Security moved to open an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Roxbury, New Jersey.
On June 13, Bennett said the district deserves “transparency, accountability and someone who is going to do the work."
Johnson told NJ Spotlight News that he had spoken to Kean by phone on April 23.
"He is attending to a personal health matter and expects to be back to 100 percent very soon," Johnson said. "Tom is one of the most dedicated and hardest working members of Congress, and I am grateful for all he does and will continue to do to serve New Jerseyans and our country."
Kean had issued statements about his absence, saying on April 27 that he expected a 100 percent recovery and to return to the job soon.
"I am especially proud of my Congressional team, who have kept constituent services and legislative work moving forward without interruption, and my political team for ensuring the campaign continues to run strong," he wrote at the time.
Who Is Tom Kean?
Kean is serving his second term and sits on the House Energy and Commerce and Foreign Affairs Committees, according to his official biography on the U.S. House of Representatives website.
Kean began his career in public service as an appointee to the Environmental Protection Agency under President George H.W. Bush—where he met his wife, Rhonda—and later worked as a legislative staffer in the Washington office of Republican New Jersey Representative Bob Franks.
He was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 2001 and, in 2003, to the New Jersey Senate, where he served for 14 years as Republican leader.
He was first elected to his swing district in 2022 and won reelection in 2024. His father served as the governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990 and later chaired the 9/11 Commission.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gabe Whisnant, Sam Wilson and Dave Siminoff.
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