Rebecca Bennett Wins Primary to Take on Absent Congressman Tom Kean

The new nominee has already taken advantage of Kean’s absence in the primary race, recently painting him to the Washington Post as unreliable and not grounded: “He is never around, he’s not on the ground, he doesn’t meet with voters, and he doesn’t meet with constituents,” Bennett said. “And so, to me, this is just an extension of how he’s been in office from the beginning.”

Kean, 57, has missed 99 House votes since his last recorded vote on March 5. In a social media post in late April, Kean pointed to a “personal medical issue,” and said he would be back to a full schedule soon. Over a month later, however, he has yet to return to Congress, and the lack of information over his condition has fueled speculation over whether Republicans will be able to hold onto the critical swing seat.

In a statement on social media Tuesday, Kean vowed to forge ahead with his campaign and offer a “clear contrast” to Bennett. As for his absence, he said that, “under the advice of healthcare professionals,” he plans to “transition from virtual work to in person work within a matter of weeks.”