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By Daniela Altimari, Mary Ellen McIntire and Niels Lesniewski
New Jersey Rep. Thomas H. Kean Jr. hasn’t been seen in Washington since he cast his last recorded vote on March 3. His staff hasn’t explained the Republican congressman’s absence, other than attributing it to a medical issue, and has given no timeline for his return.
Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that he doesn’t know the details. Kean’s neighbors haven’t seen him, nor have the denizens of the tony island enclave where his family summers.
The secrecy harkens back to an earlier era, when members of Congress routinely failed to disclose health information to their constituents or acknowledge if they were able to fulfill the duties of the job.
In 1969, South Dakota Republican Sen. Karl E. Mundt experienced a debilitating stroke and disappeared from Capitol Hill. “His aides have refused to say when he might be well enough to return,” The New York Times reported more than a year later.
Mundt was eventually stripped of his committee assignments by Senate Republican leaders, but he remained in office until his term ended in January 1973.
Later, some politicians began showing an openness to discussing deeply personal health matters, spurred, perhaps, by celebrities such as Magic Johnson, who revealed his HIV-positive status in 1991.
In 2009, Connecticut Rep. John B. Larson held a news conference in a hospital lobby to discuss the Democrat’s heart valve surgery and made his cardiologist available for questions. Three years later, the neurosurgeon who treated Illinois GOP Sen. Mark S. Kirk following a serious stroke provided a detailed medical update to the media. And in 2022, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin issued a press release explaining his lymphoma diagnosis.
“To have a life in public office is to accept that the public and private nature of your journey is really blended together,’’ the Democrat told the Times.
Members of Congress aren’t required to reveal details about their health. But not doing so brings political risks. The Democrats seeking to flip Kean’s seat have walked a careful line.
“I certainly wish him well, and I hope he has a speedy recovery,’’ Democratic contender Rebecca Bennett, told NBC News. “If I was our member of Congress, I would certainly be more transparent about what’s going on.”
Starting gate
Most vulnerable: With less than six months to go until Election Day, we’re out with our latest ranking of the most vulnerable House members. Mid-decade redistricting continues to reshape our list, which also includes several swing-seat members.
Results recap: Two Republicans who drew primary challengers endorsed by President Donald Trump lost their reelection bids over the past week. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy placed third in Saturday’s primary, missing out on advancing to a runoff next month, which will feature Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming. Meanwhile, Republicans in Kentucky’s deep-red 4th District ousted Rep. Thomas Massie, sending former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein to the general election. In other states, the Republican Senate primaries in Alabama and Georgia both advanced to runoffs. In Alabama, Trump-endorsed Rep. Barry Moore will face former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson, while Georgia Rep. Mike Collins is set to battle with former football coach Derek Dooley for the chance to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. And in Pennsylvania, the fall matchups for four battleground House races are set.
‘Sour feelings’: Our colleagues Jacob Fulton and Valerie Yurk looked at how Trump’s targeting of certain Republican lawmakers has given those members greater freedom to oppose his agenda, which could make for a challenging rest of the year for the White House.
Endorsed: Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ahead of Tuesday’s primary runoff, a blow to Senate Republican leaders who had urged the president to endorse Sen. John Cornyn for reelection. Some Republicans have been concerned that nominating Paxton would make the Texas race significantly more expensive for the party to hold.
For your ears: Daniela and Mary Ellen joined Roll Call Editor-in-Chief Jason Dick on the Political Theater podcast this week to talk about our latest lists of the most vulnerable incumbents.
#TN09: Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen said he won’t seek reelection this year after the Democrat’s Memphis-based district was split among three Republican-leaning seats during recent redistricting. State Rep. Justin Pearson, who was primarying Cohen under the old map, is still running in the 9th District despite its partisan lean.
Take five: Our colleague Jackie Wang spoke to Texas Democrat Vicente Gonzalez about his time interning on Capitol Hill, the role of moderates in the House and why he believes in centrism.
In memoriam: Former Rep. Barney Frank, the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out as gay, died this week at age 86. A former chair of the House Financial Services Committee, the Massachusetts Democrat played a key role in the passage of the 2010 landmark financial regulatory overhaul, known as Dodd-Frank.
ICYMI
Redistricting latest: The South Carolina state House approved a new congressional map, which still must be considered by the state Senate.
Endorsements: The American Federation of Government Employees labor union has endorsed Republican Reps. Rob Bresnahan and Brian Fitzpatrick for reelection in Pennsylvania. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is backing fellow Louisiana Rep. Julia Letlow in next month’s Senate runoff. In Michigan, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm is the latest high-profile Democrat to endorse Rep. Haley Stevens in the primary for the state’s open Senate seat. In New Jersey, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee has endorsed Army veteran Adam Hamawy in the race for the open 12th District and former Jersey City school board member Mussab Ali, who is challenging fellow Democrat Rob Menendez in New Jersey’s 8th District.
Ad watch: New York Democrat Micah Lasher launched a new campaign ad, highlighting his experience as a political adviser and assemblymember and his focus on policy. Lasher is running for the Manhattan-based 12th District and has the endorsement of the man he hopes to succeed – his onetime boss, retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler. The crowded Democratic primary also includes state Assemblymember Alex Bores, Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg and Trump critic George Conway.
#MIGOV: Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan ended his independent bid for governor Thursday in what could be a boon to Democrats. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is the front-runner for the Democratic nod, while Republican hopefuls include Rep. John James, former state Attorney General Mike Cox and businessman Perry Johnson.
Fields set: In Connecticut, Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont faces a historic challenge from progressive state Rep. Josh Elliott. Republicans, meanwhile, united behind Sen. Ryan Fazio after former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart dropped out of the race following accusations of fraud.
Slammed: Democrats in Texas and Washington are attacking antisemitic remarks by sex therapist and housing advocate Maureen Galindo, who is locked in a Democratic primary runoff with Bexar County Sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia in the 35th District. Galindo recently posted on social media that she intends to turn an ICE detention center into a “a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking.” A PAC boosting Galindo appears to have links to the GOP, Punchbowl News reported.
Nathan’s notes
With Cassidy and Massie losing primaries over the past week – and Sen. John Cornyn potentially in jeopardy in his primary runoff next week – it may be tempting to see 2026 as an anti-incumbent election, writes Roll Call elections analyst Nathan L. Gonzales of Inside Elections.
But this trend actually says more about Trump’s influence within the Republican Party than about voters’ attitude toward incumbents at large, Nathan writes in his latest column.
What we’re reading
“The oracle” speaks: CNN profiles James Blair, the architect of Trump’s midterm strategy. “People in our business sometimes don’t have the stomach to do what it takes to win political battles. James is not one of these people,’’ a Florida GOP political strategist told the network.
Rising hate: Axios reviewed dozens of voicemails, letters and emails sent to Jewish members of the House – and found a profusion of antisemitism. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said the problem is growing worse.
A “perfect partner”: In an opinion piece in The Boston Globe, former Sen. Christopher J. Dodd reflects on his bond with Barney Frank, and how it helped forge landmark legislation in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
Zyn’s MAGA moment: The Wall Street Journal examines the Trump administration’s affinity for Zyn nicotine pouches – and even the nation’s top health official is indulging.
The count: 192
That’s the number of pages in the Democratic National Committee’s so-called autopsy of the 2024 election, which was released Thursday. DNC Chair Ken Martin distanced himself from the report, saying it “does not meet my standards.”
CNN has more on how the autopsy was created and why its release was delayed for so long.
Key race: #CA22
Candidates: Republican Rep. David Valadao was first elected to Congress in 2012. He narrowly lost reelection in the 2018 blue wave but returned to the House two years later. This year, he faces a pair of Democrats in the June 2 nonpartisan primary for his Central Valley swing seat: physician and state Assembly Member Jasmeet Bains and college professor and local school board trustee Randy Villegas. The top two finishers, regardless of party, will compete in November.
Why it matters: Valadao has long been a Democratic target, but the dairy farmer from Hanford has proved difficult to dislodge. The seat grew a shade bluer after California voters approved a new map last year, shifting from a district Trump won by 6 points in 2024 to one he would have carried by 2 points.
Villegas, a left-leaning populist backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Bains, who has the endorsement of the centrist Blue Dog Action, represent two poles of the Democratic Party, and their race has grown increasingly acrimonious. Earlier this month, the DCCC added Bains to its “Red to Blue” program, which provides money and resources to contenders in seats national Democrats believe they can flip. The decision angered Villegas and his supporters, who accused the party of meddling.
Cash dash: Valadao started April with $2.9 million in his campaign account, outpacing his two Democratic rivals, who each had about $700,000.
Backers: In addition to Sanders, Villegas has the support of California Rep. Ro Khanna, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a host of other progressives, as well as the labor-backed Working Families Party. Bains was endorsed by EMILY’s List and 314 Action, which funds candidates with science backgrounds. She also counts California Reps. Adam Gray, Dave Min and Luz Rivas among her supporters and has the backing of DMFI PAC, which backs pro-Israel Democrats.
What they’re saying: Valadao has focused on water and agriculture policy during his time in the House. He has built a reputation as a moderate who keeps a low profile and aims to steer clear of the ideological battles dividing his party. But both of his Democratic opponents say he has largely walked in lockstep with Trump. They’ve singled out his vote for the president’s sweeping tax and spending legislation, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” and its steep cuts in Medicaid spending, which will have an outsize impact in a district with a disproportionate number of enrollees.
Bains has highlighted her experience as a doctor and has pledged to strengthen rural health care. Villegas supports “Medicare for All,” raising the federal minimum wage and offering paid family leave and universal no-cost child care.
A red box message on Villegas’ website – which is the way campaigns signal to outside groups – attacks Bains for taking money from “big pharma” and other health care companies. On her website, Bains highlights legal settlements reached between the Visalia school board and victims of sexual abuse that Villegas supported as a member of the board.
Terrain: The largely rural working-class district is majority Latino. Inside Elections rates the race Tilt Republican.
Wild card: Trump’s revenge tour has hit Indiana, Louisiana and eastern Kentucky so far this year but it has yet to reach the Central Valley. Valadao is one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over his role in inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection, and he’s the only one running for reelection this cycle. Yet Trump has not sought a primary challenger or otherwise targeted the California Republican for retribution. Valadao has said he has an “open line of communication” with Trump. “I see him regularly, talk to him regularly,” Valadao told the On NOTUS podcast earlier this year.
Coming up
As Congress heads for its Memorial Day recess next week, Texas voters will decide on their remaining party nominees Tuesday in primary runoff elections, including for the Republican Senate primary and several key House contests.
Photo finish
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