Thomas Kean Jr, a member of the Republican Party, is seen during the press conference.

• New Jersey Republican Tom Kean Jr won his party’s nomination despite being absent from public life.
• His office said in late April that he was dealing with a “personal medical issue”.
• US President Donald Trump endorsed him.

A US congressman who has missed months of votes in Washington ran unopposed on Tuesday for his party’s nomination with US President Donald Trump’s full-throated support – despite growing questions over his unexplained absence from public life.

New Jersey Republican Tom Kean Jr is seeking a third term in one of the most competitive House of Representatives districts in the country – a seat that could help determine control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.

Kean, 57, has not cast a vote in the House since 5 March, and has not been seen publicly in Washington or New Jersey for nearly three months.

His office said in late April that he was dealing with a “personal medical issue”, without giving details, and that he expected to return “very soon”.

Democrats in his district were running four candidates in Tuesday’s primary, and largely avoided attacking Kean over his health.

READ | ‘Crooked Ken’ Paxton rides Trump endorsement to win Texas election, force Cornyn out

But Republicans expect his absence to become a sharper issue after the Democratic primary race concludes.

Al Jazeera reported that Rebecca Bennett won the high-stakes Democratic Party primary in the US state of New Jersey, setting up a contest against Kean Jr, backed by Trump, for one of the most competitive seats in the upcoming midterm elections.

Bennett, a former US Navy helicopter pilot, defeated three Democratic rivals in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, securing about 47.2% of the vote, according to projected results on Tuesday.

Kean and Bennett will now square off in November for a seat that has changed party hands twice within the past eight years and ranks as a key target for Democrats hoping to capture the House of Representatives.

Trump endorsed Kean Jr on Monday, calling Kean a “Great Representative” and a “tremendous advocate” of his agenda.

“GET OUT AND VOTE FOR TOM – HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, even though Kean faced no opponent in Tuesday’s Republican nominating contest.

Kean has held New Jersey’s affluent 7th Congressional District since 2023, and his absence is a growing concern for Republicans trying to defend their slim House majority.

Kean has not given Republican leaders a date for his return but told the New Jersey Globe in April he expected to be back in Washington and on the campaign trail “in the next couple of weeks”.

His father, former New Jersey governor Tom Kean Sr, told CNN his son was recovering from a serious, but temporary illness.

Kean’s official and campaign social media accounts have continued posting during his absence, but staff have represented him at public events, including ribbon-cuttings and school graduations.