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Rep. Tom Kean Returns June 30 After 130 Missed Votes

6/19/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. will resume in-person duties on June 30, before the House’s July 2 Independence Day recess.
He has missed more than 130 roll-call votes in the House since March 5.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Kean’s absence is not a scandal and defended his right to recover.
Kean, seeking a third term, faces Democrat Rebecca Bennett in a district President Donald Trump narrowly carried in 2024.

History

Historical Context

Tom Kean Jr.’s 2024 bid for New Jersey’s 7th district echoes the narrow partisan balances that defined the 2008 presidential race, when Republican John McCain won Arizona with 53.8% of the vote on November 4, 2008. A Republican hold on the seat could preserve the House’s slim majority during the July 2 Independence Day recess.

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Story summary

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. will resume in-person duties on June 30, before the House’s July 2 Independence Day recess.
He has missed more than 130 roll-call votes in the House since March 5.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Kean’s absence is not a scandal and defended his right to recover.
Kean, seeking a third term, faces Democrat Rebecca Bennett in a district President Donald Trump narrowly carried in 2024.

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