Post-absence, N.J. Congressman Tom Kean Jr. hit the campaign trail and took a TV interview in vulnerable House race

With the midterm election nearing — and months of inactivity behind him — New Jersey U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. hit the campaign trail Friday, speaking to a few dozen people at a breakfast fundraiser held at a private golf club.

It was one of Kean’s first known campaign stops since he returned to Congress at the end of June following a long absence, which he said was due to depression. Though the congressman at times has sought to avoid media attention, he attracted just that as someone at the event called police on a New York Times reporter.

Kean, a Republican, represents New Jersey’s 7th District, widely seen as a key race in the battle for control of the House of Representatives. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) attended the breakfast, seeking to boost support for the congressman.

Kean’s reelection bid got a late start: Beginning in March, he was absent from Congress for 116 days and missed about 140 votes. As calls for an explanation mounted, Kean stated in a speech on the House floor in June that he had been seeking treatment for depression.

Friday at the Hawk Pointe Golf Club in northwestern New Jersey, Kean talked about his issues with WFMZ-69, an Allentown, Pa.-based TV station.

“I’m feeling great,” Kean said. “I had to focus on my mental health. I had depression. I’m back, feeling stronger than ever. And I’ve been helping people throughout the entirety of the year.”

WFMZ and Fox News each had a reporter present at the country club, according to the New York Times. However, Kean spokesperson Harrison Neely barred a Times reporter, Tracey Tully, from entering the event.

Tully reported that as she waited in the parking lot for a chance to interview Johnson or Kean, she was approached by a local police officer.

“Someone apparently had called the police from inside the club to report that there was a trespasser — this reporter — on the premises,” Tully wrote, adding that New Jersey State Police and Johnson’s security detail were already outside the venue.

A police officer spoke with people inside the event and told Tully that it was OK for her to remain in the parking lot, the report states.

Kean’s Democratic challenger, former Navy pilot and healthcare executive Rebecca Bennett, weighed in Saturday morning by email.

“Tom Kean Jr. is doing what he’s always done: serving his D.C. party bosses and prioritizing his stock portfolio while hiding from anyone who wants to hold him accountable, whether that’s the press or his constituents,” Bennett said.

Messages and calls to Kean’s office and spokesperson were not returned Saturday. On social media, Kean shared his TV appearance along with a message saying Bennett is hiding behind a campaign script.

While Democrats face an uphill battle in winning a majority in the Senate, they hold more favorable odds of seizing the House, according to pollsters.

With all 435 House seats up for reelection, few are seen as more competitive than Kean’s district. Political analysis sites Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball each rated the race as a “toss up.”

In 2022, Kean ousted Rep. Tom Malinowski, the district’s Democratic incumbent, and won reelection in 2024. In 2025, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won the district by 2% in her successful bid for governor.