Politics
Congressman Hasn’t Been Seen In 75 Days; Wife Declines To Comment
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. has been out of public view for more than 75 days, and even House Speaker Mike Johnson says he has not spoken to him recently, according to reporting by NOTUS.
Neighbors in Westfield, New Jersey, told the outlet they noticed long ago that something was off. Kean’s two-story Tudor-style home has been dark for weeks, three neighbors said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of his standing in the community.
They said they have not seen Kean’s wife out walking the dog and could not remember the last time her car was in the driveway. One detail stuck out: A single gardening glove was left on the front lawn over the weekend, the neighbors said.
After questions started swirling on Capitol Hill and in the press, Kean issued a statement April 27 citing “a personal medical issue.” He added, “My doctors continue to assure me that my recovery will be complete and that I will be back to the job I love very soon.”
But scheduled appearances for late May were later canceled, and Kean’s chief of staff, Dan Scharfenberger, told The New York Times, “there’s no cameras where Tom is.”
Mike Johnson told reporters Wednesday he spoke with Kean “a few weeks ago now” and said the congressman assured him he would be back “soon.” With a tight House margin, Johnson has little room to spare as he pushes a partisan budget bill and can lose only two Republican votes if all Democrats show up and oppose it.
“He’s had a medical issue, and he’s going to be fully transparent and disclose all that — I mean, that’s what he told me,” Johnson said. “But I don’t even know the details, and, you know, I have to respect that it’s a member’s personal privacy on whatever matters they’re dealing with.”
NOTUS reported that while other homes on Kean’s block bustled with landscapers and parents walking children to a nearby elementary school, Kean’s property stayed still.
— Tom Kean (@KeanForCongress) April 27, 2026
A black Ford F-150 parked outside was coated in yellow pollen, the outlet reported. The home’s thumb-latch handle was partially detached and unscrewed from the blue-painted front door, and no one answered when a reporter rang two video-recording doorbells, according to the report.
Westfield police said they have no record of recent calls to the home, NOTUS reported. Municipal records show the couple paid a sewer bill ahead of time on March 31 and paid a $6,910 property tax bill five days late on May 6, the outlet said.
NOTUS reported that one neighbor, who identified herself as a Democrat, said she had no idea what happened but complained she was still getting Kean’s “weird” digital newsletters. Another said the disappearance has become neighborhood gossip. A third said she had not seen Kean’s wife either.
Then, according to NOTUS, Rhonda Kean arrived Tuesday morning as she unpacked the trunk of a blue Land Rover Defender. Asked about her husband’s status, she winced and said, “No comment.” She was soon joined by a friend and went inside, the report said.
Kean has missed 88 House roll call votes since March 5 after previously building what the outlet described as an exemplary attendance record.
NOTUS also reported Kean continued filing financial transaction reports. Documents digitally signed April 13 show he bought and sold shares of eight stocks from mid- to late March with a combined value between $50,008 and $190,000, according to the outlet.
Kean’s absence became a flash point at a Democratic primary debate last week, where all four candidates said voters should replace him, the report said. Kean remains the only listed Republican on the primary ballot.
RELATED: NEW: GOP Congressman Missing From DC Due To ‘Unspecified’ Medical Issue
Kean’s staff has increased the office’s social media output, with at least 115 posts on X since his last House vote, including one written in the first person Wednesday, NOTUS reported. Some posts highlight staff appearances at events, including a ribbon-cutting for a new ice cream shop.
Harrison Neely, a consultant working with Kean’s political team, told NOTUS that Kean is “dealing with a personal medical situation and is under the care of doctors.” Neely said, “The expectation is that he is going to be 100% and totally healthy. The timeline for that looks very good.”
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