One of the most competitive House races of the 2026 midterms is a toss-up seat nestled in northern New Jersey. Republican leaders consider it one of their most important seats to defend in November.
The only problem? The Republican incumbent who currently represents the district hasn’t been seen in months.
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., was last seen by his peers in Congress three months ago. His last recorded vote was on March 5, meaning he’s missed more than 100 consecutive votes as of Monday.
On April 27, Kean released a public statement saying he was dealing with a “personal medical issue” but that he expected to return “very soon.” His campaign has since declined to share further details, and information about the medical issue is unknown.
For a while, even top Republican leaders on Capitol Hill were unsure where Kean was or how he was doing.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters last week that he had been in contact with Kean in early May but that he was confident he could still run for reelection and keep the seat in Republican hands.
“He’s got a medical issue, and he’s going to be fully transparent. But I don’t even know the details, and I have to respect that personal privacy,” Johnson said. “But we expect to have him back soon. We’ve missed him. He’s a great member of Congress. He’ll get reelected because he comes from a long history, a legacy in his family of faithful public service.”
Kean is the son of former Gov. Thomas Howard Kean, who served two terms in the position, and the grandson of former Rep. Robert Kean, who also served stints in the state House and Senate.
New Jersey’s 7th District is rated as a tossup by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, and it is considered one of Democrats’ best pickup opportunities in November. President Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the district by just 1 percentage point in 2024.
Kean is running unopposed, virtually guaranteeing he is the Republican nominee on the ballot unless he drops out.
Meanwhile, the Democratic primary has a crowded field of candidates vying to take on the absent congressman.
Four Democrats are running for the nomination, including Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot; Brian Varela, a small business owner; Michael Roth, who formerly worked with the U.S. Small Business Administration; and Dr. Tina Shah, a former adviser to the U.S. surgeon general.
Democratic frontrunner faces questions about link to al-Qaida
Just south of Kean’s district, a Democratic candidate leading the crowded primary of New Jersey’s 12th District is receiving renewed scrutiny over ties to a convicted terrorist and an organization with links to al-Qaida.
Recent internal polls show Adam Hamawy, a physician and Army veteran, leading the crowd of candidates, according to surveys conducted by his own campaign. But some of his opponents are raising questions about his past connection to Omar Abdel-Rahman, also known as the “the Blind Sheikh,” who was convicted in 1995 on charges of seditious conspiracy and other terrorism charges related to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Hamawy testified as a defense witness during that trial, but he was not charged with any wrongdoing.
Hamawy’s campaign said his connection to Abdel-Rahman occurred when he was in the military when the “events litigated in the trial took place, during the trial, and after the trial,” according to a statement.
Hamawy is running to replace Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who is retiring and not seeking another term.
There are a total of 12 Democrats running in the crowded primary.
Other races to watch in New Jersey
There are a handful of other primary races gathering attention in New Jersey, such as the Republican Senate primary to challenge Sen. Cory Booker. There are four Republicans on the ballot including Robert Lebovics, a physician and ENT surgeon; Richard Tabor, a former state trooper and Army veteran; Justin Murphy, former deputy mayor of Tabernacle; and former local TV news reporter Alex Zdan.
Booker does not have a primary challenger.