Kean on the Run - Again

BERNARDSVILLE -  For weeks, activists have been amassing just about every Friday at the train station here before marching a few blocks to the district office of Tom Kean Jr.

They have many complaints, but the primary one is Kean's refusal to hold live town halls or engage with the press and public.

Now, Kean may be trying to outfox them.

The CD-7 congressman has relocated his office from Bernardsville to Lebanon Borough in Hunterdon County. The move was announced on Monday, three days after the move took place.

CD-7 includes at least parts of six counties - Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren. The district tilts Republican registration wise, but it remains the most competitive House district in the state.

A statement from the congressman says:

"The new district office in Lebanon Borough is situated in northern Hunterdon County, serving as a central location within the district with nearby roadway access to Interstate-78 and U.S. Route 22."

A map of the area shows that the office is just about between the two highways and off of Cokesbury Road.

Whether the new location offers a convenient spot for protests remains to be seen.

The Morris County Democratic Committee noted the move with a social media post:

"Congressman Tom Kean  has left the building! We held our Final Finding Kean Fridays in Bernardsville because the congressman has closed his District Office there. He abruptly moved in response to weekly rallies and visits by constituents to his office. We will not back down!"

That suggests there may be trips to Kean's new office upcoming.

The mayor of Lebanon Borough, Jim Pittinger, hailed the move as bringing borough residents "closer to our nation’s capital."

A spokesman for Kean was asked if the move had anything to do with the frequent protests in Bernardsville. There has been no reply.

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