In no way did Tom Kean Jr. deserve to win reelection.

That observation is not made with rancor or glee.

Everyone has a past, and the legacy of the Kean family should not be overlooked or minimized.

Tom Kean Sr. remains a popular former governor. He also served the nation, and not only the state, as chair of the federal commission that investigated the 9/11 attacks.

His son carried on the family business - first as a state legislator and since the 2022 election, as a member of the House from CD-7.

Nothing unusual here.

Kean Jr., however, was never confused with his father, who at 91, is still giving interviews and speaking to reporters.

His son does not.

With the occasional exception of right wing outlets, Kean has no public persona. That has been true since he ran for Congress - and lost - back in 2020.

Which brings us to this year when his seclusion became more literal.

He was absent from Congress for almost four months, eventually saying he was suffering from depression.

People, at least most people, are sympathetic to those with medical ailments, Clinical depression is definitely a serious affliction.

Kean spoke about his ordeal on the House floor on June 30.

And that was it.

He never held a press conference, or an interaction with reporters of any kind.

Nor did he have any unscripted appearances with ordinary voters. One must exclude appearances at Republican events when everyone there is likely a supporter.

Would it have been that difficult to speak candidly - for more than 10 minutes and take questions - about his ailment?

Kean went in the complete other direction.

A reporter showed up at a campaign event he was having with Speaker Mike Johnson and the police were called.

A trio of reporters were denied entry to a Hunterdon County rally in which he was speaking about voter integrity. Nothing controversial about that subject.

The congressman was scheduled to attend a "candidates' night" in Hopatcong, but he sent a surrogate instead.

Sure, there are those who will say that Kean, like everyone else, has the right to privacy about his medical condition.

Problem with that view is that he is not a private person. He is a U.S. congressman and the representative of about 775,000 people.

Bottom line: Even if you don't like doing it, interacting with the public and press is part of the job.

Kean's pattern in this regard did not hurt him in 2022 or 2024, but this year was different.

By any objective analysis, there is simply no justification for a congressman - any congressman - to show such contempt and indifference to the general public.

And this year, a majority of voters cared.

So, now Kean will be a lame duck. His public behavior probably won't change.

One difference of course.

People will no longer care if he speaks or not.