GOP Senate campaign head says he’s keeping an eye on N.J. in 2024

Will New Jersey’s 2024 Senate race, when U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is up for re-election, be competitive? Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told the New Jersey Globe today that he’s keeping tabs on it.

“We keep an eye on every state,” said Daines, who is tasked with winning back the Senate majority for Republicans next year. “We’ve got a pretty clear map right now, but we’ll keep an eye on New Jersey. We’ll see if the opportunity arises.”

Most outside observers don’t view New Jersey as one of the country’s top Senate races; with a presidential contest at the top of the ballot, the state is likely too blue for any Republican to break through.

But an ongoing federal investigation into Menendez could potentially give the GOP an opening to make the race more competitive than it otherwise would be. That’s what happened in 2018, when a different federal investigation (that later resulted in corruption charges and ultimately acquittal) dragged Menendez into a seemingly tight race, though he ended up beating Republican Bob Hugin 54%-43% anyways.

Asked whether he thinks the new investigation into Menendez might make the race closer, Daines said he didn’t know.

The frontrunner for the GOP nomination to take on Menendez this time around is Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner, who has national Republican connections and is already beginning to get major endorsements. Several other Republicans are also running, and more still could join, including former State Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff.

Whoever does emerge from the Republican primary will face an uphill battle regardless of Menendez’s legal trouble. One of their most important tasks will be convincing national Republicans – Daines among them – that their campaign is nevertheless worth investing in.