MENDHAM - In the midst of a CD-7 forum on Sunday, Tina Shah said: "Tom Kean is saying nothing. He's nowhere to be found."

That's more true now than ever.

Kean, the CD-7 congressman since January, 2023, has never been one to interact with the public or press. His refusal to hold "town hall"

meetings has drawn criticism, protests and outright ridicule.

Over the last six weeks, however, the story has mushroomed into national news.

Kean has not voted in Congress since early March, reportedly because of a personal health matter. A spokesman said he is expected to be 100 percent and back on the job soon.

At the same time, some New Jersey Republicans who know Kean, or his family, say they have been unable to get any information about what is wrong. Many are mystified - and concerned.

Health matters, of course, are private - for most people. Members of Congress, it seems, have an obligation to be a bit more forthcoming about their health, especially if they've been out of commission for six weeks.

Stirring things a bit more is the politics of it all.

Kean's district, which includes at least parts of Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties, is the most competitive in the state.

Which brings us to the forum, which was sponsored by the Jewish caucus of the Morris County Democratic Committee.

Shah and the other three candidates seeking the party's congressional nomination - Rebecca Bennett, Michael Roth and Brian Varela - attended and answered questions geared to Israeli and Jewish concerns.

There was general agreement on condemning a rise of anti-Semitism from both the left and the right and supporting the state of Israel.

But there were some nuances.

Shah was the only candidate to say she supported continued military aid to Israel without conditions. This has been a critical issue with some Democrats criticizing the Netanyahu government's policy in Gaza.

Another question was about a definition of anti-Semitism devised by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). This definition has been adopted by many organizations and countries. It has not been adopted, however, by New Jersey.

Shah was also the only candidate who answered "yes" when asked if the IHRA's definition should be adopted.

The other candidates all condemned anti-Semitism, but did not commit to adopting the relevant definition - at least for now. Roth said that dialogue among all people is needed on the topic and that a definition

- any definition - in itself is not good enough.

How about AIPAC?

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee was heavily involved in nearby CD-11. The group's PAC strongly opposed Tom Malinowski in the special February primary. Malinowski lost, but the winner - and now congresswoman - was Analilia Mejia whose views are less supportive of Israel than Malinowski's.

This prompted all four candidates to condemn "dark money" and to support the overturning of Citizens United, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for unlimited campaign spending by outside groups.

Bennett also said that over-the-top condemnation of AIPAC can border on anti-Semitism, given the fact many other large PACs employ similar tactics.

The primary is June 2, so the race may be heating up.

Roth was endorsed last week by five progressive groups.

Varela is looking for the same progressive magic, if you will, that propelled Mejia to an upset win in the primary.

Shah, who spoke of a $2 million campaign fund, is already spending heavily on direct mail.

Bennett, who has been endorsed by county Democratic organizations in four of the six counties of the district, said the important thing is winning in November.

Speaking on Saturday during a "meet and greet" in Watchung, she said:

"I think that we are seeing a lot of enthusiasm and momentum on the ground. What I hear from most people is that, 'I just want to win.'"

Referring to her military background and employment in the healthcare field, she added:

"So, I have been very focused on making  my case why I'm the best candidate to be able to flip this seat."

Bennett said it's important to get the Democratic base motivated, but in a district that leans Republican by about 20,000 voters, she is also reaching out to Republicans and independents.