The U.S. Senate is in for a wild ride. Especially with what a rogue Senator’s about to do.
As a Democrat U.S. Senator has concocted an unthinkable scheme to usurp the Democrat Party.
With all the attention on Donald Trump, you may not have been hearing about the U.S. Senator who is fighting for his political life because of international bribery and obstruction of justice charges that seem extremely well-founded.
That, of course, is the Democrat Senator from New Jersey, Bob Menendez. Mr. Menendez has a history of being sketchy, to say the least. In 2015 he was hit with bribery charges, but nothing ever came of it as the jury couldn’t reach a verdict and the trial was hit with a mistrial ruling from the judge.
However, in 2023, he was once again indicted on bribery charges concerning international “business dealings” in Egypt, Qatar, and many other areas in the Middle East.
Then, in 2024, he and his wife were smacked with obstruction of justice charges because his lawyers have apparently been lying about investigation proceedings. All this to say is that clearly Menendez isn’t exactly a guy anyone should want anywhere near a Congressional office.
That being said, he recently announced that he’d be running as an independent in his race for re-election for his Senate seat. There’s now major concerns within the Democrat Party that Menendez could be handing a seat that is normally reliably Democrat right into the hands of the Republicans by splitting the voter base.
New Jersey Senate Race Heats Up as Menendez Runs as Independent
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez’s decision to run as an independent candidate is poised to reshape the state’s upcoming Senate race, potentially acting as a spoiler for the Democratic nominee and narrowing the gap in what has traditionally been a secure seat for Democrats.
Menendez, a Democrat since his election to the Senate in 2006, is currently embroiled in a federal corruption trial. Despite these legal troubles, he recently filed to run as an independent, a move that has introduced significant complications for Democratic nominee Andy Kim. The race, which has seen the Senate seat remain blue for over five decades, is now much closer than anticipated.
Political strategist Mike Duhaime, who served as chief strategist for Chris Christie’s gubernatorial campaign, highlighted Menendez’s influential role in New Jersey politics. “He was a trailblazer for Hispanic politicians for decades, and he has a loyal following in his base of Hudson County where Kim would rely on a massive margin. Menendez would cut into that,” Duhaime told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Polls reflect this potential disruption. In a straightforward two-way race, Kim leads Republican nominee Curtis Bashaw by nine points, with Kim polling at 48% and Bashaw at 39%, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll from April. However, with Menendez in the mix, Kim’s lead shrinks to five points, polling at 44% against Bashaw’s 39%, as Menendez draws about 6% of voters who might otherwise support Kim.
An Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill poll from March provides further insight, showing that in a hypothetical three-way race, Menendez polls at 9% as an independent candidate. In this scenario, 49% of New Jersey voters would back the Democratic nominee, while 42% would support the Republican.
Jeanette Hoffman, a spokeswoman for Bashaw’s campaign, emphasized the opportunity this presents for Republicans. “With Joe Biden’s dismal approval ratings and Democrats in complete disarray, this is the best shot Republicans have to win a New Jersey U.S. Senate seat in a generation. Polls show voters are tired of decades of corruption and machine politics served up by the New Jersey Democrats,” she told the DCNF.
Kim secured the Democratic nomination decisively, garnering 75% of the vote. On the Republican side, Bashaw won the nomination with 45%, defeating a Trump-endorsed candidate, Mendham Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner, who received 38%.
Menendez’s candidacy is further complicated by his declining approval ratings following recent indictments. A Monmouth University poll from April 2022 showed Menendez with a 44% favorability rating and a 39% unfavorability rating. Post-indictments in 2023, his approval ratings plummeted, with a 45% disapproval rate and only 36% approval. A significant 75% of voters believe he is probably guilty, and 63% think he should resign.
The Democratic hold on the New Jersey Senate seat, unbroken since 1972, now faces a genuine challenge from the GOP. Historical precedents in the state show that Republicans have occasionally clinched victories with narrow margins, often aided by spoiler candidates.
In 2009, former Governor Chris Christie won the gubernatorial race with less than 50% of the vote due to an independent spoiler candidate. Duhaime pointed out, “Republicans have won six gubernatorial races here since 1981, Christie most recently in 2009 and 2013. In four of those six, Republicans won with less than 50%. Christie won in 2009 even though there was an independent Republican in the race. So when independents are serious, Republicans tend to play it a little better and can win with under 50%.”
Mike Berg, communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, confirmed the GOP’s heightened focus on the New Jersey race, stating, “We’re keeping a close eye on New Jersey.”
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
