Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., who faced criticism this year after a mysterious monthslong absence from Congress, was defeated by Democratic challenger Rebecca Bennett, NBC News projects.
\n\nBennett’s victory over Kean, the son of New Jersey’s popular former GOP governor of the same name, was a key win for Democrats in their bid for the House majority. Kean, who was in his second term, had been seen as one of the most vulnerable Republicans on the ballot, and top super PACs yanked spending in support of Kean in the closing weeks of the campaign.
\n\nHe was absent from Capitol Hill from March 5 to June 30, when he revealed that he had been hospitalized and diagnosed with depression. He missed 140 votes.
\n\n“When people hear the word ‘depression,’ many think it simply means feeling sad. But depression is so much more than that. It is physical. It is emotional,” Kean said in a closely watched floor speech upon his return. “Until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”
\n\nHis absence was one of the stranger episodes in recent memory in Washington. As reporters asked questions and speculation mounted, Kean’s office said…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health