The campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is opening its wallet to Rep. Rob Menendez (DN.J.), the only Latino member of the New Jersey House, as he faces a primary challenge from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla .
Bold PAC, the campaign group, spent $500,000 to finance a TV ad for Menendez in English and Spanish. The value of Bold PAC’s independent expenditures, the first in the 2024 cycle, was not previously reported.
“As the only Latino member of Congress representing New Jersey, we are proud to launch our 2024 independent spending efforts by supporting Rob Menendez in his re-election,” said Bold PAC President Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.).
The ad focuses on Menendez’s economic record, although the race so far has been defined by defamation.
Bhalla placed heavy emphasis on Menendez’s relationship with his father, Senator Bob Menendez (DN.J.), who is on trial for corruption.
The elder Menendez’s trial began jury selection on Monday.
But the younger Menéndez deflected these accusations, considering them attempts to blame his son for his father’s alleged sins and shedding light on Bhalla’s own ethical record.
Bhalla is currently suspended from practicing law in New York and was admonished by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 2018 for managing third-party funds.
Menéndez Campaign maintains a website titled “Better Not Call Ravi”, listing corruption allegations against Bhalla, inspired by the TV drama “Better Call Saul”.
But in a debate earlier this month, both candidates took time to discuss political issues after trading corruption accusations.
The Hill has reached out to Bhalla’s campaign for comment on this story.
The race, in some ways, is a test of Menendez’s record and his ability to win an election, not supported by his father but despite his legal troubles.
In 2022, Menendez ran for the House seat held by former Representative Albio Sires (DN.J.) and once held by Senator Menendez, who at the time was at the height of his political power, seen by many as the elder statesman of the CHC .
But Rep. Menéndez’s name became an issue just months into his first term, when the Justice Department announced charges against the senator and his wife.
Even so, Menendez has been a workhorse for the CHC, which did not expect to lose a senator and have to defend the House seat.
If Menendez keeps his seat, he will be the only Latino federally elected in New Jersey in 2025.
“Bold PAC has existed for more than two decades. Our mission is to get Latinos elected and re-elected to Congress. We were so proud to stand alongside Rob in his first election,” said Bold PAC Executive Director Victoria McGroary.
“Of course, we support strong Latino candidates and members everywhere because Latinos are everywhere and deserve to be represented everywhere. But of course this is important in particular in places like New Jersey, and in places like the Eighth District that are majority Latino, it’s really important to make sure that we’re championing Latino voices and the Latino representation that they have in Congress. ”
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