Voters in New Jersey's 7th District are being asked to hold a lot of faith in their congressman, mainly because they haven't seen him in months. Rep. Thomas Kean Jr., a second-term Republican in a hotly contested seat, hasn't voted on Capitol Hill in more than eight weeks, hasn't appeared on the campaign trail, and hasn't been spotted in public, with his office explaining merely that he's dealing with a health issue and will return "very soon," per the New York Times.
When asked earlier this week when he thought Kean might be back, House Speaker Mike Johnson simply said, "I don't know," per NBC News. Kean's staff and social media accounts say he's working—though recent posts written in the first person are paired with older photos—but aides won't describe the 57-year-old's condition, with his chief of staff offering only, "There's no cameras where Tom is," per the Times. The vacuum, however, is shaping the race: Democrats eye the suburban district as a prime pickup and are trying to delicately press for more transparency without directly attacking an unknown medical situation.
"We elected Tom Kean Jr., not his team," said Democratic hopeful Tina Shah at a recent primary debate. Kean remains the sole Republican on the June 2 primary ballot, and his office insists he has no plans to step aside. The Hill, meanwhile, notes there's another "missing lawmaker" on Capitol Hill who's also raising eyebrows: Frederica Wilson, an 83-year-old Florida Democrat who hasn't cast a vote at work since mid-April, though she's reportedly coming back next week.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries recently said of Wilson that she was "recovering from a procedure," without elaborating. Wilson herself on Thursday revealed that she's healing from surgery on her left eye. "Although I am currently unable to fly under my doctors' orders, my work has not stopped for a single day," she said, per the Washington Examiner. "While recovering in the district, I have continued carrying out my official duties, meeting with leaders, local organizations, city and county officials, and constituents."
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