When Safe Seats Eliminate Voter Leverage

Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a New Jersey Republican, missed over 100 votes while absent for three months through June 2024. He faced no primary challenge. In competitive districts, such absence triggers electoral pressure. New Jersey's 7th District leans safely Republican, leaving voters without a primary mechanism to signal discontent. The situation reveals how gerrymandering and noncompetitive districts erode democratic accountability.