Kean secures renomination despite being missing from Congress due to undisclosed medical issue

New Jersey GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr. won his Republican primary Tuesday night, unopposed, despite being missing from the House of Representatives since March.

Kean, who is hoping to continue representing New Jersey's seventh district in the House, has claimed that he will be back in the lower chamber soon after disappearing because of an undisclosed medical issue.

The Republican secured President Donald Trump's endorsement over the weekend, claiming Kean was a "tremendous advocate of our America-first Agenda," citing his support for secure borders and American energy dominance, migrant crime prevention and cutting taxes and regulations.

Kean will now face former Navy pilot Rebecca Bennett in November. She secured the Democratic nomination with 47.7% of the vote, according to the Associated Press.

New Jersey's 7th District's election results have been narrowly divided between Democrats and Republicans. Trump won the district by one point in the 2024 presidential election, but Democrat Mikie Sherrill won the district by nearly two points in the 2025 governor's race. Kean won the district by five points in 2024. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.