Rep.Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., who faced criticism this year after a mysterious monthslong absence from Congress, was defeated by Democratic challenger Rebecca Bennett, NBC News projects.Bennett’s victory over Kean, the son of New Jersey’s popular former GOP governor of the same name, was a key win for Democrats in their bid for the House majority.
Kean had been seen as one of the most vulnerable Republicans on the ballot, and top super PACs yanked spending in support of Kean in the closing weeks of the campaign.The two-term congressman was absent from Capitol Hill from March 5 to June 30, when he revealed that he had been hospitalized and diagnosed with depression.He missed 140 votes during that span.“When people hear the word depression, many think it simply means feeling sad.
But depression is so much more than that.It is physical.
It is emotional,” Kean said in a closely watched floor speech upon his return.“Until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”But his absence was one of the stranger episodes in recent memory in Washington.
As reporters asked questions and speculation mounted, Kean’s office said the congressman was dealing with a “personal medical issue” but declined to provide any specifics or answer questions.Reporters from NBC News and other outlets knocked on the door of Kean’s New Jersey home, but no one answered.Adding to the confusion, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other GOP leaders said they had spoken to Kean or his family, but refused to provide any explanation about why he was missing from the public eye.Democratic congressional candidate Rebecca Bennett.Adam Gray / Bloomberg via GettyFrom the outset, Democrats believed they had a strong candidate in Bennett, a healthcare executive, who like Democratic New Jersey Gov.
Mikie Sherrill, is a former Navy helicopter pilot.She attacked Kean for voting for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” whi...