GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr. lost his bid for a third House term Tuesday after vanishing earlier this year for four months with no explanation and later claiming depression was the cause.
Kean trailed Democrat Rebecca Bennett by 37% to 62% as of 9:45 pm EST.
Kean’s loss apparently ends a political dynasty that dates back to the founding of the US, with his ancestor William Livingston serving as the first-ever governor of New Jersey.
His father, Tom Kean Sr., served as governor of New Jersey from 1982 through 1990 and later chaired the bipartisan commission that investigated the 9/11 attacks.
A seasoned politician who served as minority leader in the state Senate, Kean Jr. feuded with then-Gov. Chris Christie before being narrowly elected to represent the state’s wealthy 7th Congressional District.
Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, focused on healthcare policy and pummeled Kean over his support for President Trump. Meanwhile, national discontent over the high price of gas, affordability concerns, unease over the war in Iran, and Trump’s sagging approval combined to sink the Republican’s campaign.
Both Kean and Bennett had pitched themselves as moderates, seeking to appeal to undecided voters in the swing district.
The 58-year-old Republican then threw a wrench in his own campaign when he disappeared from the House between March 5 and June 30 — missing more than 100 roll call votes with no clear explanation.
When Kean re-emerged, he revealed in a speech on the House floor that he suffered from an episode of depression, the severity of which put him in the hospital.
“Now when people hear the word depression, many people think, simply feel, it means feeling sad,” he explained at the time. “But depression is so much more than that. It is physical, it is emotional, and until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”
“When I first informed the public that I was dealing with a medical issue, I was still trying to understand what was happening myself,” he added.
