Where is Representative Thomas Kean Jr.?<\/p>\n
Lately, curious political watchers have noted where Mr. Kean is not. He seems to be absent on Capitol Hill, where he represents the people of New Jersey\u2019s Seventh District but hasn\u2019t cast a vote in more than two months. Mr. Kean, a Republican, has not been seen on the campaign trail as he runs for re-election in a competitive midterm race.<\/p>\n
He has not appeared in pixel form, either: No candid photos have emerged of the incumbent to allay the worries of donors and constituents. Two weeks ago his office released a written statement, attributed to Mr. Kean, explaining that he was dealing with a \u201cmedical issue\u201d and would be back \u201cvery soon<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Since then? No reported sightings.<\/p>\n Mr. Kean\u2019s social media accounts have remained active in his prolonged absence. The posts are often written in the first person, but paired with older photos.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we are being assured is that his team is carrying the torch,\u201d Tina Shah, who is vying for the chance to unseat Mr. Kean, said on Tuesday at a debate with three other Democrats. \u201cBut we elected Tom Kean Jr., not his team.\u201d<\/p>\n Members of Mr. Kean\u2019s team were seated conspicuously in the third row, watching as the Democrats took turns weighing in on their boss\u2019s mysterious absence. Afterward, his chief of staff, Dan Scharfenberger, reiterated a now familiar explanation.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s dealing with a personal heath condition, and he\u2019ll be back soon,\u201d Mr. Scharfenberger said in an interview.<\/p>\n When pressed on the nature of the health condition and why Mr. Kean had not been seen in New Jersey or in Washington, Mr. Scharfenberger said, \u201cThere\u2019s no cameras where Tom is.\u201d<\/p>\n He declined to elaborate.<\/p>\n National Democratic officials see Mr. Kean\u2019s district \u2014 a largely affluent and suburban region that stretches like a girdle across North Jersey from its eastern shoreline to its western border with Pennsylvania \u2014 as one of the party\u2019s best pickup opportunities in November. And Democrats had been aggressively targeting his seat well before Mr. Kean began missing votes.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s going to be totally fine, and he\u2019ll be back to a full schedule soon,\u201d Harrison Neely, Mr. Kean\u2019s spokesman, said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Soon may not be imminent. The Morris County Chamber of Commerce has amended the program for a May 28 breakfast meeting focused on Washington policies, saying that Mr. Kean will no longer be speaking at the event.<\/p>\n