Who is Tom Kean Jr.? NJ Republican nominee who was absent for 4 months
Politics Unusual: Councilwoman Carmen De La Rosa, Rebecca Bennett join
FOX 5 N.Y.'s Teresa Priolo speaks to Councilwoman Carmen De La Rosa on AI oversight hearing and Rebecca Bennett on the race for N.J.'s 7th congressional district on this episode of Politics Unusual.
WESTFIELD, N.J. - Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. is seeking reelection to New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District on Nov. 3; he'll be facing Democratic challenger Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot and health care industry executive.
Kean, who has represented the district since January 2023, is seeking another term in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the biography on his campaign website. The district comprises all of Warren and Hunterdon counties, along with portions of Sussex, Morris, Somerset and Union counties.
Tom Kean Jr.'s political career
Timeline:
Kean, 58, was born Sept. 5, 1968, in Livingston, New Jersey.
He is the son of former New Jersey Gov. Thomas H. Kean, who served as governor from 1982 to 1990, according to his official congressional website. Kean attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1990, and earned a master’s degree in law and diplomacy from Tufts University in 1997.
According to the U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Historian, Tom Kean Jr. began his elected political career in the New Jersey General Assembly, winning a seat in 2001. He entered the state Senate in 2003 and served until 2022.
Representative Tom Kean Jr., a Republican from New Jersey, during a vote at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Photographer: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Kean's official congressional biography also notes that he became Senate minority leader in 2008, a position he held through the end of his state legislative career. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), Kean previously won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2006—though he lost in the general election—before winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022, defeating Democratic incumbent Tom Malinowski.
In Congress, Kean serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House, specifically focusing on legislative and oversight duties related to public health, consumer and data protection laws and telecommunications. He also serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, focusing on diplomacy, security and foreign assistance throughout the Middle East and Central and South Asia, per his House biography.
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NJ Rep. Tom Kean Jr. returns to Congress following treatment for depression
New Jersey Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. is returning to Congress following a months-long absence, revealing that he had been away receiving treatment for depression.
In June 2026, Kean returned to the House floor after an extended absence and publicly disclosed that he had been diagnosed with depression, according to a transcript of his speech from that time. He thanked his family and staff for their support and said he was grateful to continue representing his district.
Kean lives in Westfield, New Jersey, with his wife, Rhonda, and their two daughters.
Kean vs. Bennett
Dig deeper:
Kean’s 2026 campaign comes as he seeks to retain the seat against Bennett, who won the Democratic primary in June.
The candidates have presented differing positions on the Trump administration’s policies, including its approach to Iran and presidential authority over tariffs, per the AP. During a September debate, Bennett criticized U.S. military action against Iran and called for tariff oversight, while Kean defended the administration’s approach, citing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and presidential tariff authority.
What's next:
The November election will determine whether Kean continues representing the 7th District or whether Bennett enters Congress.
The Source: Information sourced from Ballotpedia, the official website of Congressman Tom Kean Jr., the U.S. House of Representatives History, Art & Archives, the Associated Press (AP News) and FOX 5 New York.