The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a major pro-Israel group with a history of spending huge amounts of money to support some of its endorsed candidates, backed two New Jersey House members in tough races today: Reps. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) and Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City).
Kean, the representative from New Jersey’s one true swing district, faces what’s likely to be a competitive general election this year. Menendez, meanwhile, has a notable primary challenger in Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla; if AIPAC chooses to make expenditures on Menendez’s behalf as it did in many contested 2022 Democratic primaries, that could give Menendez a major boost.
Notably, AIPAC also seems to be standing by its support of Menendez’s father, embattled Senator Bob Menendez, who remains listed on AIPAC’s endorsement website. The elder Menendez has been a close ally of Israel during his time in the Senate and chairing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but he’s been abandoned by nearly all of his onetime allies in the wake of his federal indictment – with AIPAC as an apparent exception.
“Like all Americans, he deserves the presumption of innocence,” AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann told the Jewish publication The Forward in September, shortly after Menendez was first indicted on corruption charges. “The pro-Israel community deeply appreciates Senator Menendez’s leadership in strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship.”
Kean and the two Menendezes are among the 10 New Jerseyans AIPAC is officially supporting for re-election this year. Also running with the group’s endorsement are Democrats Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff), Donald Norcross (D-Camden), Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch), Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson), and Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), and Republican Reps. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) and Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis).
Pascrell faces a potential primary challenge from Paterson Mayor André Sayegh this year, while there’s a possibility that Smith could attract a right-wing challenger like he did in 2022.
That leaves four New Jersey members without an AIPAC endorsement: Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), who generally has the delegation’s most progressive and Israel-skeptic voting record; Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark); Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), who’s running for the Senate against Menendez this year; and Senator Cory Booker, whose seat isn’t up until 2026.
See here for a full list of endorsements in New Jersey’s 2024 congressional contests.