Kean reveals depression kept him from Congress for months

Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. disclosed Tuesday that he has spent the last several months hospitalized for depression, revealing for the first time why the two-term New Jersey Republican has not cast a vote in Congress since March.

Speaking on the House floor, Kean said he entered the hospital for testing several months ago and never expected it would become “a long-term stay,” an absence that caused him to miss 140 roll call votes.

“I was given the diagnosis of depression.  When people hear the word depression, many think it simply means feeling sad. But depression is so much more than that.  It is physical. It is emotional,” Kean said. “Until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”

Kean, 57, said his doctors recommended that he remain in the hospital to treat his depression.

“They explained to me that it would be the fastest way to recovery,” he explained.  “To be honest, I was hesitant.  I didn’t think I had time for it.  I had responsibilities to my family. Responsibilities to my constituents.  Responsibilities to this institution.  And like many people, I believed I could simply push through.”

It was only after he began treatment, Kean stated, that he “began to understand not only my diagnosis, but how long depression had been affecting my life.”

“I am grateful that I listened to my doctors,” he said. “I am grateful that I accepted help, because today I stand before you healthier, stronger, and excited to return to the work I love.”

He cast his last vote on March 5, before a House recess. When lawmakers returned the week of March 16, Kean was no longer casting votes. He faced growing criticism for declining to disclose the nature of his illness, prompting some reporters to try to determine his whereabouts on their own.

“I owe an explanation to the people of New Jersey’s 7th district, to my colleagues in this chamber, and to the American people for my absence,” he said today.

Kean said that when he first disclosed he was dealing with a medical issue, he was “still trying to understand what was happening myself.”

“When I said I hoped to return in a matter of weeks, I believed it.  Those were the best estimates the doctors could provide,” Kean said.  “But, as the over 48 million of my fellow Americans being treated for this illness have come to discover, there is no timeline for healing.  There is no timeline for recovery.  Only the work of getting better one day at a time.”

He said his experience had given him “a deeper appreciation for the millions of Americans who face these challenges every day.”

“Many do so quietly. Many do so alone. Many do so while carrying burdens that the rest of us never see,” he said. “To them I would say: Asking for help is not weakness. It is strength.”

Kean said he was “a private person by nature.”

“Talking about myself has never come naturally,” he said.  “If sharing my story encourages even one person to seek help, if it gives one family the courage to have a difficult conversation, or if it reminds one person that recovery is possible, then this moment will have been worthwhile.”

His public explanation came weeks after he first acknowledged suffering from an undisclosed medical condition.

In a May 21 interview with the New Jersey Globe, Kean said doctors expected a full recovery, with no long-term effects, chronic health issues, or cognitive impairment.

At the time, Kean said he expected to return to Congress within weeks and promised a full explanation when he did. Less than two weeks later, however, he announced that his return would be delayed again.  Today, he said he came back with the full support of his doctors.

Kean told the New Jersey Globe five weeks ago that he intended to seek re-election in New Jersey’s 7th district, and those plans remain unchanged.

Even before his illness became public, Kean faced one of the nation’s most competitive House races.  He faces Democrat Rebecca Bennett, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and political newcomer who scored an easy victory in the June 2 primary election in a field of four candidates.

Kean unseated two-term Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) in 2022, winning by three points. The district has stayed competitive since then — Trump carried it by one point in 2024, and Gov. Mikie Sherrill won it by two points in 2025.