A Congressional representative is set to return after a mystery illness caused him to misss months of work with little communication - but he has still not disclosed what kept him away from his duties.
A political advisor for New Jersey Republican Tom Kean told the New Jersey Globe that the congressman “will be back for votes on June 30.”
The representative has been out sick for nearly three months. Despite his absence, he faced no opposition in the June Republican primary for his congressional seat. He will be up for re-election in November, facing Democrat Rebecca Bennett.
Kean told the New Jersey Globe in early June: “I am more energized than ever to keep fighting for the people of New Jersey’s 7th District.”
In the same statement, he said he would be transparent with voters about his health concerns when he returned to office, saying: “I understand the need for transparency on this matter and I look forward to sharing my experience with the public.”
Kean’s chief of staff, Dan Scharfenberger, told The Independent, that the congressman will reveal “all when he returns on the 30th.”
Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, has said he is aware of Ken’s condition, stating: “It’s not a scandalous thing at all.”
Although the 57-year-old says he has been working virtually for his district, the representative has missed 135 votes in the House of Representatives, and more in his sub-committees Energy and Commerce and Foreign Affairs since March 5.
According to NJ Spotlight, the congressman has been recycling old images to share online.
Kean previously pushed back his recovery timeline, telling the New Jersey Globe that he was near a return on May 21, and then pushing back his return to work on June 2.
His team has told the press that his condition will not impact his cognitive functioning.
Kean won his seat by 5 points in 2024, and expected to face a tough re-election campaign in a competitive district. His Democrat opponent is a former Navy helicopter pilot. Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives of 218 to 212. If Democrats were to take back the House in 2026, they could create a roadblock to President Donald Trump’s agenda.
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