The son of Senator Bob Menendez (DN.J.) is running for his political life as his scandal-plagued father threatens to drag him down in his re-election bid.
Rep. Rob Menendez (DN.J.) is running for another term representing New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District, a solidly liberal area where the winner of the primary will almost certainly win the general election in November.
But the younger Menendez faces a formidable primary challenge on Tuesday from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, which comes amid growing scrutiny over the congressman’s relationship with his father, who has been accused of bribery.
“Senator Menendez’s complications are the reason this is a race in the first place,” said New Jersey-based Democratic strategist Henry de Koninck. “That’s the elephant in the room, and the race could very well turn into a referendum on Senator Menéndez, which would obviously pose an electoral challenge to the congressman.”
Rob Menendez was first elected to represent the district in 2022 after longtime Rep. Albio Sires (DN.J.) announced he would not seek re-election. He was then serving as commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, having been appointed by Governor Phil Murphy (D), and quickly won the endorsement of most of the state’s top Democrats, including the governor and top leaders in the state Legislature. .
Menéndez faced minimal opposition in the Democratic primary and easily won the general election.
But this time he faces a much tougher challenge as he runs in the shadow of his father’s criminal trial, accused of bribery, obstruction of justice and other charges. Prosecutors allege that the senator and his wife accepted bribes in exchange for various favors for three businessmen and for acting as agents of the Egyptian government, among other crimes.
The senator and his wife pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The younger Menéndez is not involved in the allegations facing his father, but the case has still caused him significant electoral difficulties due to allegations his detractors have made that nepotism is the reason he currently holds his position.
Bhalla made these allegations a focal point of his campaign.
“This is a gentleman who was handpicked by the party bosses to be their next congressman,” Bhalla said of Menendez in a debate they participated in last week. “Do you want someone who was handpicked by the party bosses, or do you want someone who has been in the district, made achievements and worked honestly for the people throughout his career? That’s me.”
Menendez emphasized his connections to the district, being a lifelong resident of the area, and the work he has done in Congress to serve his constituents in response.
“I believe when you look at our record of results for this district, you will agree that we have gained two more years in Congress,” he said during the debate, referring to his office’s constituent services and the millions in funding provided to the district. for infrastructure projects.
While the candidates differ somewhat on certain policy issues, such as the war between Israel and Hamas and health care, strategists say the race appears to hinge more on questions of ethics and qualifications to serve the district.
“This is a referendum on Bob Menendez and the extent to which his son will be held accountable for his alleged transgressions,” de Koninck said.
“Both the congressman and Bhalla did what they could to establish their progressive bona fides and establish that record,” but that is not what will determine the outcome, he continued.
Polls have been limited in the race, but signs indicate it could go either way.
While a winter poll associated with Menéndez’s campaign showed the incumbent ahead by more than 20 points, another associated with Bhalla’s campaign placed him with just 3 points. And an April poll from a super PAC supporting Bhalla showed the mayor ahead by 5although almost a third were undecided.
Both candidates raised significant totals to finance their campaigns, with Bhalla slightly edging out Menéndez with $2 million, compared to the current candidate’s more than $1.6 million.
The Hill has reached out to the Menendez and Bhalla campaigns for comment.
One other key factor that could at least help make the race close is a new ballot design that will be used in the New Jersey Democratic primary for the first time in decades. After a federal judge struck down the old voting design that gave candidates who received endorsements from party leaders preferential placement on the ballot, candidates are now grouped only by the office they are running for.
That could be a boon for Bhalla, as Menéndez has garnered major support from state Democrats who have backed candidates in the race. This includes the district parties from Essex, Hudson and Union counties, which make up the district.
The governor also campaigned with the parliamentarian over the weekend.
But the impacts of voting without a “county line” can be difficult to predict.
Democratic strategist Brendan Gill noted that candidates can still run on election slogans that make clear they have the support of party leaders, and elected leaders still have the ability to “move large blocks of votes” to a candidate they support.
“This is an interesting district because it’s hard to tell, based on the polls, because there are the last vestiges of, in certain parts of this district, institutional machine organizations,” he said.
“There are parts of this district that, even without lines, are still led by party leaders who have very strong followings and organizations,” Gill said.
The primary also features a third candidate: businessman Kyle Jasey, son of a former state representative.
Jasey told The Hill that he believes the controversy surrounding Senator Menendez will be the defining issue in the race, although some political issues, such as the Israel-Hamas war, will play a factor.
But Jasey also noted some controversy surrounding Bhalla over his work as a lawyer and his tenure as mayor that arose during the dispute.
The New Jersey Supreme Court censored Bhalla in 2018 for unethical conduct for failing to set aside money for a former employee’s retirement account. And this year, a former Hoboken official filed a lawsuit against Bhalla alleging that, as mayor, he sought to overturn the approval of a cannabis dispensary location in favor of another location owned by another mayor’s wife in exchange for cool job.
Menéndez seized on the accusations and called on Bhalla to release all communications related to the situation, while Bhalla called the lawsuit “pure, utter nonsense” and questioned the credibility of the former employee who filed it.
“I think it’s exactly the kind of thing that people hate in politics here and are tired of,” Jasey said, regarding the allegations against Bhalla.
Democratic strategist Laura Matos said the decision will ultimately be made on who constituents believe will serve them best. As the only congressional district in New Jersey that is majority Hispanic and the only one that has a Hispanic member in the House, performing well with this demographic is essential for candidates.
In the April poll, Bhalla had a narrow lead with this group, with 31 percent support, versus 27 percent for Menendez and 10 percent for Jasey.
“It’s kind of the dawn of a new day for Democrats in New Jersey,” Matos said. “And what has changed is what voting looks like, but there is still a need for candidates to step up and talk to constituents, develop relationships in the communities they seek to represent, and educate voters and work to win the votes of those they seek to represent.
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