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NJ Rep. Tom Kean Jr. loses to Rebecca Bennett after disappearing for nearly four months

By Ryan King3 min readNew York Post
NJ Rep. Tom Kean Jr. loses to Rebecca Bennett after disappearing for nearly four monthsNJ Rep. Tom Kean Jr. loses to Rebecca Bennett after disappearing for nearly four months

Kean Jr. is part of a political dynasty that traces back to the founding of the US, with his ancestor William Livingston serving as the first governor of New Jersey in 1776.

GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr. lost his bid for a third House term Tuesday after vanishing earlier this year for four months with no explanation and later claiming depression was the cause.

Kean trailed Democrat Rebecca Bennett by 37% to 62% as of 9:45 pm EST.

Representative Tom Kean Jr. walks through a corridor surrounded by reporters and cameras at the US Capitol.
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. comes from a political dynasty that traces back to the founding era of the country. Bloomberg via Getty Images

Kean’s loss apparently ends a political dynasty that dates back to the founding of the US, with his ancestor William Livingston serving as the first-ever governor of New Jersey.

His father, Tom Kean Sr., served as governor of New Jersey from 1982 through 1990 and later chaired the bipartisan commission that investigated the 9/11 attacks.

A seasoned politician who served as minority leader in the state Senate, Kean Jr. feuded with then-Gov. Chris Christie before being narrowly elected to represent the state’s wealthy 7th Congressional District.

Democratic U.S. Congressional candidate for New Jersey Rebecca Bennett fist bumps an attendee at a primary election night event.
Rebecca Bennett, a mother of two and Navy pilot, had been seen as the frontrunner in the competitive race. Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, focused on healthcare policy and pummeled Kean over his support for President Trump. Meanwhile, national discontent over the high price of gas, affordability concerns, unease over the war in Iran, and Trump’s sagging approval combined to sink the Republican’s campaign.

Both Kean and Bennett had pitched themselves as moderates, seeking to appeal to undecided voters in the swing district.

Republican candidate Tom Kean, Jr. and Democratic candidate Rebecca Bennett shake hands prior to a debate.
New Jersey’s 7th Congressional race had been among the most competitive in the country. AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah

The 58-year-old Republican then threw a wrench in his own campaign when he disappeared from the House between March 5 and June 30 — missing more than 100 roll call votes with no clear explanation.

When Kean re-emerged, he revealed in a speech on the House floor that he suffered from an episode of depression, the severity of which put him in the hospital.

“Now when people hear the word depression, many people think, simply feel, it means feeling sad,” he explained at the time. “But depression is so much more than that. It is physical, it is emotional, and until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”

“When I first informed the public that I was dealing with a medical issue, I was still trying to understand what was happening myself,” he added.

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