WASHINGTON -- A congressman who was absent from the Capitol for nearly four months disclosed Tuesday that he had been diagnosed with depression in a floor speech on his first day back at work.

"This is not an easy speech for me to give. I am a private person by nature," said New Jersey Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. "I was given the diagnosis of depression.... I am grateful that I accepted help."

Kean's absence had sparked widespread concern and criticism ahead of what is expected to be a close election in November for his competitive seat.

In his floor speech, Kean said he initially expected to be out for a few weeks, but doctors encouraged him to remain hospitalized longer. He said that his office continued serving constituents while he was out.

"It is physical, it is emotional, and until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be," Kean said. "There is no timeline for recovery -- only the work of getting better, one day at a time," he said.

Before returning on Tuesday, Kean had missed more than 100 House votes since March 5, the last time he cast a vote in the chamber. During that period, he won an uncontested Republican primary for his New Jersey congressional seat, despite staying out of the public eye for months.

Kean, 57 years old, had revealed that he was dealing with a personal medical condition, but didn't provide details. Kean said his doctors assured him his recovery would "be complete" and that he would return to Congress "very soon" in an April social-media post. It wasn't until early June that he set a date: June 30.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) had previously said that Kean had told him what his health issue was and would be transparent about his condition upon his return.

"If it were me, I would have been more specific about that, and I encouraged him to be," Johnson said Tuesday. "I think his constituents have been served throughout this process."

Kean's extended absence spurred questions about his health and whether he would return at all this term or continue to run for re-election. Added pressure fell on Republican leaders navigating an already-narrow GOP majority.

The New Jersey seventh congressional district, which comprises suburbs and rural towns, is among the several House seats Democrats hope to win back in the midterms in November. The seat has switched between Republicans and Democrats twice in the past decade, and Kean has held it since 2023. The district is currently rated a "tossup" by the Cook Political Report.

Kean will face Democrat Rebecca Bennett, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and first-time candidate, in the fall. Trump endorsed Kean while he was out, saying he was "working tirelessly" and would never let voters down.

Bennett has sharply criticized the congressman's absence.

"Tom Kean Jr., wherever you are, you have failed this district," Bennett said in her primary-election victory speech. "Simply put, you are a coward. You are failing us, and you do not deserve to represent us in Washington."

Kean is the son of former New Jersey Gov. Thomas H. Kean, who had told CNN that his son's illness "won't linger. It's not some kind of disease that's going to incapacitate him in the future. The consensus is that he will be 100% okay."

Write to Maya Davis at maya.davis@wsj.com and Terell Wright at terell.wright@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 30, 2026 12:04 ET (16:04 GMT)

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