Dems pick challenger for GOP congressman who vanished from public view amid health mystery

Democrat Rebecca Bennett will face Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., an embattled lawmaker sidelined for months by an undisclosed health issue, in November's general election. 

Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, won the Democratic nomination in a crowded primary for a battleground New Jersey House seat, according to The Associated Press. 

Kean, who has not appeared in public since early March, ran unopposed for the GOP nomination.

Bennett's primary victory sets up what could be the two-term incumbent's toughest re-election fight yet. The suburban swing district is considered critical to House Republicans' efforts to hold their slim majority.

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Gov. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., narrowly carried the northern New Jersey swing seat during her gubernatorial race in 2025. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the contest as a "toss-up." 

The brewing general election battle comes as Kean has faced mounting scrutiny for a prolonged absence from Congress that has left even House GOP leadership in the dark.

"He's had a medical issue, and he's gonna be fully transparent and disclose all that," House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters in May. "I mean, that's what he told me. But I don't even know the details, and I have to respect that."

Kean released a written statement shortly before polls closed Tuesday saying he will be "completely transparent" about his medical issue when he resumes in-person work, which he said he expects to do "within a matter of weeks."

"I understand the need for transparency on this matter, and I look forward to sharing my experience with the public," he continued, without further elaborating on his condition.

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Kean previously said in mid-May that he would resume work "in the next couple of weeks," according to the New Jersey Globe.

The New Jersey Republican has missed all 104 of the most recent roll call votes, according to GovTrack, a website that monitors congressional absences. He last voted March 5.

His office has continued to post on social media and Kean has even introduced legislation during his absence.

President Donald Trump highlighted his endorsement of Kean in a post on social media, stating the incumbent lawmaker "WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN."

Tina Shah and Michael Roth - two former Biden administration officials - challenged Bennett for the Democratic nomination. Brian Varela, a businessman running on a progressive platform, also launched a bid for the seat.

Bennett, a first-time candidate, ran a less progressive campaign than the other Democrats in the race. She was the lone Democrat to stop short of calling for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Kean defeated Democratic challenger Sue Altman by roughly 5 points in 2024. He is the son of former two-term New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, who led the Garden State throughout much of the 1980s.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), House Republicans' campaign arm, immediately criticized Bennett following her primary win.

"The truth is, Bennett is a tax-and-spend liberal who worships the socialist Squad and wants to make life more expensive for New Jerseyans," National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Maureen O'Toole said in a statement Tuesday.