A vulnerable New Jersey Republican returned to public life after a deeply personal mental-health crisis hoping to convince voters that he was ready to continue serving them.

But one of Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s taxpayer-funded advertisements is now attracting attention for a very different reason: The apparently ordinary people shown standing beside him were reportedly members of his own congressional staff.

The revelation arrives as Kean fights to preserve his political career in one of the country’s most competitive House races—and as polling indicates that voters’ opinions of him have turned sharply negative.

The familiar faces hidden inside the ad

The advertisement shows Kean on a public street discussing what it describes as “thousands in tax relief.” Three people stand nearby, creating the appearance of a congressional representative speaking directly with members of his community.

According to an AlterNet examination of public photographs and professional profiles, however, the people appear to work for Kean.

The woman standing on the left was identified as Renee Trabert, Kean’s special projects coordinator and a former state Senate chief of staff.

The woman to Kean’s right was identified as Kristen Doran, his director of operations.

The third person is only partially visible. AlterNet reported that photographs from social media indicate he appears to be J.D. Bryden, Kean’s district deputy director. The outlet compared his appearance and clothing—including a distinctive sweater—with photographs posted on Instagram.

The ad itself was submitted through the congressional franking system.

Taxpayer-funded political messaging

Members of Congress receive public funds to communicate with the people they represent. This system, traditionally associated with official mail, is known as the franking privilege.

As political communication moved online, lawmakers gained the ability to use those resources for approved digital advertising, including Facebook promotions. Restrictions are supposed to prevent taxpayer-funded communications from becoming explicit campaign advertisements.

Kean’s ad appears among submissions published by the House Committee on Ethics.

Using congressional employees in official communications is not automatically evidence of wrongdoing. But the staging could leave viewers with the impression that Kean was interacting with constituents rather than posing with members of his own operation.

The supplied reporting does not indicate that the Ethics Committee determined the advertisement violated House rules.

A tax-relief claim under scrutiny

The people featured in the ad are not its only contested element.

Kean claims that he “restored the SALT deduction for middle-class families.” SALT refers to the federal deduction for state and local taxes, an especially important issue in high-tax states such as New Jersey.

Kean introduced the SALT Deductibility Act in 2026, seeking to eliminate the existing cap entirely. But that proposal did not pass.

The actual change came through the Republican budget legislation enacted in 2025. That law increased the deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000, with scheduled 1 percent annual increases for several years before the adjustments stop in 2029.

Kean could argue that he supported the broader Republican effort that increased the cap. Critics, however, may view the word “restored” as overstating his personal role—particularly because his own bill did not become law.

His father joins the defense

Kean’s famous political surname has also become central to his reelection effort.

His father, former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean Sr., appeared in a recent advertisement declaring how proud he is of his son and praising his concern for ordinary people.

“He cares about people,” Kean Sr. says in the ad, which also claims the congressman worked to protect Medicare and Medicaid for New Jersey seniors, children and people with disabilities.

That message faces its own political challenge. The Republican budget legislation Kean touts for increasing the SALT cap also included approximately $1 trillion in Medicaid reductions over 10 years.

Medicaid is the largest payer for behavioral-health services in the United States, according to the Milbank Memorial Fund. That connection is especially sensitive after Kean’s own experience with severe depression.

Four months away from Congress

Kean was absent from Congress for approximately four months while receiving institutional treatment for mental-health concerns.

During that period, his father told reporters that a serious illness had prevented the congressman from fully performing his duties. Kean Sr. stressed that doctors expected his son to recover completely.

When Kean returned, he disclosed that he had experienced crippling depression. Speaking from the House floor, he described mental health as an issue transcending partisan divisions.

“If sharing my story encourages even one person to seek help,” Kean said, “then this moment will have been worthwhile.”

His openness represented a significant and potentially life-saving intervention in the public conversation about depression. His treatment and recovery should not be treated as personal failings.

The political questions instead concern constituent representation during his absence, his voting record and the accuracy of the messages now being used to secure another term.

A once-safe name faces a brutal race

Kean is facing moderate Democrat Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot. Political analysts have described the contest as a toss-up, with some giving Bennett a narrow advantage.

A poll conducted by Z to A Research for the Democratic-aligned 314 Action Fund found Kean’s favorability deeply underwater: 50 percent of likely voters viewed him unfavorably, compared with 32 percent who viewed him favorably.

Politico reported in August that Kean’s reliance on his family’s political legacy appeared to be backfiring.

Now the congressman’s official advertising is under a new microscope.

The image was supposed to show Kean delivering tax relief while surrounded by the people he serves. Instead, it may tell voters something less flattering: When his office needed friendly faces to stand beside him, it reportedly turned to the people already on his payroll.