Tipsheet

Bob Menendez Files for Independent Run As His Son Manages to Fend Off Primary Challenger

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  June 04, 2024 10:05 PM

Update: Shortly after publication, Decision Desk HQ called the New Jersey Republican Primary race for Curtis Bashaw, who is running for U.S. Senate. Bashaw will face Democratic Rep. Andy Kim and Sen. Bob Menendez in November, with Menendez running as an Independent. 

Original: Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) managed to fend off a primary challenge on Tuesday night, despite Hoboken Mayor Ravinder Bhalla raising a considerable amount of money in the race. Kyle Jasey was also running in that race.

The race was called at 9:02pm, just over an hour after polls closed in New Jersey.

The congressman, who is the son of embattled Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), won his primary challenge despite his father being indicted on felony charges.

With an estimated 81 percent of the vote in, the younger Menendez enjoys 54.4 percent of the vote, while Bhalla is at 34.9 percent and Jasey at 10.7 percent.

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The senior senator from New Jersey is not deterred, and not only has he refused to resign from office, he also is running for reelection as an Independent. There have been local reports for weeks indicating Menendez’s interest, and late last week it looked like he had more than enough signatures to qualify.

An NBC News report from last Thursday indicated that Menendez was likely going to wait so as to not affect his son’s primary race:

Menendez could file to run as an independent at any time but is likely to wait until Tuesday to submit his signatures because his son, Rep. Robert Menendez Jr., D-N.J., is running for re-election in a competitive primary that will take place the same day, two sources with direct knowledge of his thinking said.

The senior Menendez’s controversial bid could interfere with his son’s re-election efforts, and Menendez Jr. has already been targeted with attack ads related to his father’s case. That’s one of the reasons Menendez decided to run as an independent — so he and his son wouldn’t need to share the same ticket, a person with direct knowledge of his thinking said.

Despite such reporting, though, Menendez filed on Monday. “The people of this great state deserve a leader in Washington with a proven track record of fighting tooth and nail to deliver results, and I intend to keep doing so as an independent Democrat. It displeases me to have to go this route, thanks to overzealous prosecutors, but I will do what must be done to continue to uphold my oath of office for my constituents,” a statement posted to his political X account began in part. 

From there, Menendez proclaimed his innocence, as he has done before. “Despite what is portrayed in the press, my innocence continues to be laid out in court. As I have said before, I have committed no crime. I am more confident than ever that New Jerseyans and the rest of the American public will see me exonerated of what I am being accused of, and I will be re-elected to the Senate once again,” his statement continued.

“Simply put, I have delivered for New Jersey and will continue to do so. I look forward to putting these accusations behind me and getting back to work for my constituents,” Menendez’s statement concludes after listing some of his accomplishments. 

Replies have been restricted, and Menendez posts infrequently to the account, having not done so since March 21. Before then, he hadn’t posted to such an account since September 11. The embattled senator and his wife were indicted on September 22 and then hit with even more chargers on January 2 and again on March 5. 

In late March, a poll from Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill was released showing that Menendez would only enjoy 9 percent support. 

As expected, Democratic Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District won the New Jersey Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate. Kim has the support from Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who has called on Menendez to resign and has been the exception rather than the rule when it comes to Menendez’s fellow Democrats. 

Kim’s race was called much earlier, and his win looks to be a much more decisive one than Rep. Menendez’s primary win. Kim and Menendez will likely face Republican Curtis Bashaw in November. 

With an estimated 57 percent of the vote in, Kim enjoys 75.6 percent support.