Tom Kean had everything going for him. Then the Republican New Jersey congressman disappeared

Republican Representative Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey had a Trump endorsement, more than $2.4m in campaign funds as of February and a district drawn to favor Republicans. Yet the Cook Political Report now rates the seventh district as leaning Democratic, and political newcomer Rebecca Bennett is mounting a close challenge, according to The Guardian.

Kean, 58, vanished from Congress and public view for more than three months, missing 100 votes without explanation, before returning at the end of June and disclosing a hospitalization for depression. House Speaker Mike Johnson, though sympathetic, told the New York Times he would have addressed the matter sooner. Critics say Kean has since avoided national reporters, pointing to a Times journalist denied entry to an August event and to no questions being taken after a debate with Bennett. Campaign manager Harrison Neely calls that claim false, saying Kean does more local press than any other sitting member of the state's delegation.

Bennett, 39, is a former Navy helicopter pilot and onetime healthcare-company executive. Her campaign centers on affordability, and she says voters also voice frustration over the Iran war. With 16 days left, she reports strong momentum.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →