GOP Rep Kean to face Bennett as Dems seek to oust absent GOP N.J. incumbent

Rebecca Bennett won the Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District on Tuesday, CBS News projects, and will take on GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who has been missing from the job for nearly three months. 

The district is one of the most vulnerable for House Republicans in the 2026 midterms, with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rating the race a toss up. The race will help determine which party controls the House for the final two years of President Trump’s second term.

Kean won the seat in 2022 after redistricting made the district more favorable to Republicans. President Trump endorsed Kean on Monday, saying he’s “working tirelessly” to achieve his priorities.

But Kean’s whereabouts since he last voted on March 5 are unknown. In an April 27 statement, Kean said he was addressing a “personal medical issue.” Statements from his staff and family members have only added to the mystery. 

“There’s no cameras where Tom is,” his chief of staff told the New York Times. 

Kean’s father, former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean Sr., told CNN that his doctors “all agree he’s going to be fine.” 

“It took a real illness to knock him out,” Kean Sr. added. “This won’t linger. It’s not some kind of disease that’s going to incapacitate him in the future. The consensus is that he will be 100% OK.”

In a phone interview with the New Jersey Globe on May 21, the congressman offered few details about the medical issue and reiterated that he is running for a third term. 

Kean issued another statement Tuesday via his campaign that said he was focusing on his recovery and that he would be back in Washington in several weeks. 

“I will transition from virtual work to in person work within a matter of weeks. At that time I will be completely transparent as to the nature of my medical condition,” Kean said, giving no new details about his health. 

Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, beat three Democratic opponents to advance to the November general election.