Six members of N.J.’s congressional delegation have called for Menendez’s resignation so far

Six members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation have thus far called for the resignation of Senator Bob Menendez following Menendez’s indictment on federal corruption charges: Reps. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson), Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch), Donald Norcross (D-Camden), and Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff).

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) issued a statement saying the charges were concerning but stopped short of saying he should resign.

Kim was the first prominent Democrat anywhere in the state to tell Menendez to resign, saying a few hours after the charges were unsealed that Menendez doesn’t have “the ability to properly focus on our state and its people while addressing such a significant legal matter.”

Statements from Sherrill, Pallone, and Pascrell soon followed, alongside similar calls from Gov. Phil Murphy and other state Democratic leaders. Norcross and Gottheimer did the same the next day.

(Several members of Congress from outside New Jersey have called for Menendez to resign as well, including Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, North Carolina Rep. Jeff Jackson, and Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger.)

Kim, Sherrill, Norcross, and Gottheimer are considered potential candidates to run for the Senate in 2024, whether or not Menendez runs for re-election. All four could also be in contention for an appointment to Menendez’s seat if the senator resigns before his term is over.

One New Jersey congressman has explicitly released a statement supporting Menendez: Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City), the senator’s son. The younger Menendez, who said that he has “unwavering confidence” in his father, appears to be just about the only prominent politician anywhere in the country to publicly stand behind Senator Menendez.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) took a more equivocal stance, saying that the charges against Menendez “undermine the sacred trust that Americans place in their elected representatives” but stopping short of calling for his resignation. (That also seems to be the general approach among Menendez’s colleagues in the Senate, among them Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.)

Statements from New Jersey’s five other members of Congress are still outstanding. Two Republicans, Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis) and Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), seem likely to support ditching Menendez, but neither have officially said anything so far.

As for the remaining two Democrats – Senator Cory Booker and Reps. Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark) —  there’s been radio silence.

This story was updated at 12:05 p.m. after Donald Norcross called for Menendez’s resignation, again at 1:19 p.m. after Josh Gottheimer did the same, and again at 3:41 PM with an announcement by Watson Coleman.