Safe Seats Erase Accountability: Kean's Three-Month Absence Goes Unchallenged

Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a New Jersey Republican, vanished from both Washington and his district for three months, missing over 100 congressional votes through June 2024. He faced no primary challenger. In competitive districts, such prolonged absence would trigger electoral pressure. But New Jersey's 7th District leans safely Republican, leaving voters without a mechanism to express dissatisfaction during the primary. The gap underscores how gerrymandering and safe seats weaken democratic accountability—a problem extending beyond one congressman's mystery.