At least one New Jersey Menendez is likely to return to Congress next year after Rep. Rob Menendez defeated a rival in the primary in the state’s 8th Congressional District.
Rob’s father, Senator Bob Mendenez, is currently on trial on bribery charges and accused of accepting gold bars, cash and other gifts in exchange for favors for foreign governments.
His father’s complicated legal problems weighed on Rob’s primary run and he faced fierce opposition from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla.
Rob Menendez won the primary with more than 53 percent of the vote to more than 35 percent for Bhalla, a difference of less than 7,000 votes. Businessman Kyle Jasey received only 10 percent.
Menéndez, 38, has held the position in the House since 2023.
Congressman Rob Menendez won his Democratic primary in New Jersey by more than 50 percent of the vote despite a primary challenge, as bribery charges by his father, Senator Menendez, cast a shadow over the race.
On the campaign trail, Bhalla pursued him as a political insider hand-picked by his father for the job despite little prior experience and accused the younger Menendez of putting loyalty to his father before New Jersey.
Additionally, earlier this week Bob Menendez changed his party affiliation to Independent to run for Senate this fall.
But in the end, the member of New Jersey’s former political family was able to pull off a victory despite the tough race, and Bhalla nearly matched the incumbent lawmaker in fundraising.
‘From the bottom of my heart, to the voters of District 8: thank you,’ Menendez posted Tuesday night.
‘We always said we would do this together and we did. Tonight was a great success, but the work continues tomorrow. And we will continue to fight and deliver for all the residents of our incredible district,” he continued.
Congressman Menéndez celebrates defending himself against a rival in the Democratic primaries
Rep. Rob Menendez, 38, was first elected to the House during the 2022 midterm elections.
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla challenged Congressman Rob Menendez in the Democratic primary, but failed to oust the incumbent of a political dynasty.
After the race was called Tuesday night, Bhalla congratulated the congressman.
‘Although tonight was not the result we wanted, I am tremendously proud of the campaign we carried out. Democracy won and the people of our district, for the first time in years, had a real choice at the polls,” Bhalla wrote in a post.
“It’s never easy to confront the status quo, party bosses, county lines and politics as usual, but no big changes happen when we stand by and give in to cynicism or lose hope,” he continued.
Bhalla said he believes his campaign is part of a broader movement for a “more democratic New Jersey” and said he looks forward to working with Congressman Menendez to demonstrate life for the district’s residents.
Menéndez now moves on to the general election, where he will face Republican Anthony Valdés in the Democratic-majority district.
As for his father, veteran Senator Menéndez is in the middle of his federal bribery trial.
Senator Bob Menendez arrives at a federal courthouse in New York on May 30.
The senator, 70, and his wife are accused of accepting gold, a convertible and other gifts in exchange for favors in a scheme with American businessmen and the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Senator Menéndez announced in March that he would not run for re-election as a Democrat in 2024.
New Jersey Democratic Congressman Andy Kim won the state’s Democratic primary Tuesday night.
But on Tuesday, Menendez changed his party affiliation to run for the Senate as an independent, one day before the deadline.
A three-way race could make things much more competitive and expensive come November in the deep blue state.
In the Republican Senate primary, Curtis Bashaw beat Trump-backed candidate Christine Serrano Glassner to get on the November ballot.
