New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean Jr. faced an immediate challenge over his months-long mental health absence during Sunday’s first and only televised debate against Democratic challenger Rebecca Bennett.
Moderator David Wildstein opened by asking Kean whether he had acted responsibly by waiting to tell constituents about the mental health struggles that kept him away from Congress for 116 days earlier this year.
Kean, the Republican seeking another term in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, stood by his decision not to reveal his depression diagnosis sooner, describing his absence as the result of a medical emergency.
‘Nobody can plan a medical emergency, and that was a medical emergency,’ Kean said.
He said his office had informed constituents that he was undergoing medical care and argued that he had been open about his diagnosis once he decided to speak publicly about his depression.
‘I’m glad you got access to the treatment you needed,’ Bennett replied.
Kean’s extended time away from Capitol Hill had also prompted unease among members of his own Republican Party.
Former New Jersey Attorney General John J. Farmer Jr. said in late May that Kean was a ‘public figure running for reelection’ and should be ‘as transparent as he can be with the public.’
Many of Rebecca Bennett’s attacks during the New Jersey 7th Congressional District debate focused on Republican Tom Kean Jr.’s loyalty to President Trump, as reflected in his voting record
Tom Kean Jr., who is running for reelection in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, defended withholding his depression diagnosis, saying his time away from Congress followed a medical emergency
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Kean’s absence, saying on June 3 that ‘people are entitled to get sick’ and calling the situation ‘not a scandalous thing at all’
New Jersey Republican state Sen. Jon Bramnick nevertheless recognized why Kean’s disappearance had become an issue, saying it was ‘a big deal’ as voters sought answers about their missing congressman.
House Speaker Mike Johnson offered a more supportive assessment on June 3, saying that ‘people are entitled to get sick’ and insisting Kean’s circumstances were ‘not a scandalous thing at all.’
Johnson added that he knew the details of Kean’s health problem but intended to honor the congressman’s decision to keep them private.
Bennett did not challenge Kean’s choice to seek treatment. Instead, she used the exchange to return to a key campaign theme: his backing of President Trump’s agenda.
The debate also revealed several areas in which Kean tried to draw a line between his own positions and those of Trump.
One of the most notable differences involved a proposed ICE detention center in Roxbury, within Kean’s congressional district.
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Federal officials bought the vacant 470,000-square-foot warehouse in February for $129.3 million.
New Jersey and Roxbury Township have challenged the project in federal court through multiple lawsuits and requests for injunctions, creating an ongoing legal fight and halting construction at various points.
The debate featured several issues on which Kean sought to separate himself from Trump, including his opposition to the Gateway rail tunnel project
Kean said his focus is, ‘to make sure we don’t have an ICE facility in Roxbury.’ A 470,000 square-foot-warehouse was purchased by federal officials in hopes of turning it into an ICE facility, which has since been held up in court
An Insider NJ/StimSight Research survey, conducted September 8-12 among 498 likely voters, found Bennett at 47 percent to Kean’s 42 percent
Asked about the controversial facility, Kean said, ‘My focus is to make sure we don’t have an ICE facility in Roxbury.’
Bennett immediately seized on the statement, saying, ‘This is the first time we have heard Congressman Tom Kean Jr actually be explicit about his position on the detention facility in Roxbury. So thank you for telling us where you stand finally.’
Kean also pointed to his disagreements with Trump over funding for the Gateway rail tunnel project, arguing that he has demonstrated a willingness to challenge the president when he believes New Jersey’s interests are at stake.
The Gateway rail tunnel project is a roughly $16 billion effort to build a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River and repair the century-old tunnels linking New Jersey with New York, and it relies heavily on federal funding.
But on several of Trump’s signature policies, Kean was much more supportive.
He defended his vote for Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ arguing that its tax cuts would benefit the economy.
Bennett attacked the legislation over its healthcare provisions and its effect on the national debt.
Kean also defended Trump’s tariffs, arguing that they were justified and that the president should have broad authority to use them as leverage against other countries.
On Iran, Kean backed Trump’s military action, arguing that Iran could not be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon, while Bennett countered that the war was making the United States ‘less safe and less secure’ and questioned whether there was a clear objective or exit strategy.
Kean was also strongly supportive of Israel, defending its actions, while Bennett took a more critical position toward the Israeli government’s conduct.
Bennett has opened up a five-point lead over Republican Congressman Tom Kean Jr. in New Jersey’s closely watched 7th Congressional District, according to the latest poll of likely voters.
The Insider NJ/StimSight Research survey, conducted September 8-12 among 498 likely voters, found Bennett at 47 percent to Kean’s 42 percent.