Rep. Tom Kean, who revealed this week that he was hospitalized for depression during his monthslong absence from Congress, has a mixed record on supporting mental health and sick leave legislation.
While he voted numerous times to help pass mental health bills as a state lawmaker, he also voted against legislation that would have given New Jerseyans access to the type of care and time off that he says he recently benefited from.
During a speech on the House floor Tuesday in which he discussed his battle with severe depression, Kean said he has "always been a supporter of mental health care."
Before he was elected to Congress in 2022, Kean served in the state Legislature for two decades — first as a member of the Assembly then in the state Senate.
"During my time in the New Jersey Legislature, I worked to advance mental health parity. I believed in the cause then, and I understand it in a far more personal way now,” he said Tuesday. “This experience has given me a deeper appreciation for the millions of Americans who face these challenges each and every day.”
Kean now faces what is expected to be a tough election for his seat in November against Democratic candidate Rebecca Bennett. The Cook Political Report recently moved the contest from “lean R” to “toss-up.”
A Gothamist review of his voting record as a New Jersey legislator shows that Kean was a "yes" vote on 18 bills related to mental health — most notably, the mental health parity law signed by then-Gov. Phil Murphy in 2019. Kean was a primary sponsor of the legislation that requires health insurers to provide coverage for mental health conditions and substance use disorders under the same terms and conditions as any other medical condition.
"Unfortunately, many who pursue treatment are only dissuaded by insurance limitations that put the cost of care out of reach,” Kean said at the time. “This legislation will level the playing field by ensuring that critical behavioral health care services are put on the same footing as treatments for physical ailments that are covered by insurance plans.”
He also voted in favor of legislation requiring institutions of higher education to provide students with access to mental health care programs and services and to establish a hotline to provide information concerning the availability of those services. He was also a “yes” vote on a bill that requires health curriculum for New Jersey public school students in grades K through 12 to include instruction on mental health.
But Kean also voted against other, often high-profile health related legislation at least six times, including the Earned Sick Leave Act, paid family leave in 2008 and 2018, and a bill requiring suicide and mental health screening of juveniles in county detention centers. In 2018, he voted against legislation that established Get Covered NJ, the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace.
Kean’s campaign did not respond to a request to comment on his voting record on mental illness and sick leave. His team has also not said when he’ll be appearing in the North Jersey district he is running for re-election in this midterm season.
I believed that I could simply push through.
Speaking to a mostly empty House chamber Tuesday, Kean said he checked into a hospital for testing several months ago and was diagnosed with depression. He said that resulted in a “long-term” stay in the hospital.
“ The doctors recommended that I remain in the hospital to address my illness. They explained to me that this would be the fastest way to recovery, and to be honest, I was hesitant. I didn't think that I had time for it. I had responsibilities to my family. I had responsibilities to my constituents. I had responsibilities to this institution. And like many people, I believed that I could simply push through. But I agreed to follow my doctor's recommendations, again, not believing that it would re-result in a long-term stay,” he said.
Liz Glynn, director of organizing with New Jersey Citizen Action, said Kean owes his constituents an explanation of where he currently stands on paid sick leave and other health care bills he voted against in the past.
“Does he support them now that he has experienced his own healthcare crisis?” she asked.
Glynn said Kean’s vote last year for President Donald Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill “delivers huge cuts to Medicaid” and institutes work requirements which will go into effect next year.
“So folks who are facing a health crisis like Tom Kean Jr. will have to go through a process of paperwork and approval if they are not going to be able to work,” she added.
Kean’s Congressional district has swung back and forth between the parties in recent high profile elections. Republicans hold about a 3% registration advantage over Democrats in the district. But the seat has been on Democrats’ radar ever since President Donald Trump only carried it by about 2% in 2024. The following year, Gov. Mikie Sherrill flipped the district from red to blue — winning it by about 1%.
Rebecca Bennett
Bennett, the Democratic nominee running against Kean, told Gothamist last week she was grateful to hear Kean is getting back to work but criticized him for continuing to fundraise while he missed over 100 votes in Congress.
”Snce he's been absent from Congress, he has still raised more than $800,000 from donors and corporate PACs, ” she said.
Republican state Sen. Jon Bramnick, who represents the same part of the state as Kean, said he expected Kean to be up for the challenge of the campaign despite his health issues.
“ He works really hard. I mean, he is the kid you wanted to sit next to in class,” he said.
Bramnick, who has been critical of President Donald Trump’s policies, said he believed the election would be less about Kean’s mental health and more about whether Kean can differentiate himself from the president – whose popularity in New Jersey has fallen dramatically.
“[Kean’s] challenge is basically the Republican Party’s image, is Donald Trump. So that's the crisis the Republicans face in New Jersey,” he said.
