Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City) today received the endorsement of the Hudson County Central Labor Council (HCCLC), giving the freshman congressman another powerful labor ally in his potentially difficult fight for renomination.
“Rob is a friend to all of our brothers and sisters in labor, supporting our right to good wages and key workplace protections, while addressing the affordability issues impacting Hudson County,” HCCLC President Barry Kushnir said in a statement. “We were proud to support Rob in 2022, and we are even prouder to support him again this year.”
Back in 2022, Menendez – then a commissioner on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – got near-unanimous support from every major group in Hudson County for his bid to succeed Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York). With no major opponents, Menendez won the Democratic primary with 83% of the vote, and was easily elected in the heavily Democratic district in November.
This year, though, things aren’t going so smoothly for Menendez. The congressman’s father and namesake, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, is under federal indictment on corruption charges, and his legal troubles have had political ramifications for his son.
One major Democratic challenger, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, has entered the race against Menendez; also running is Kyle Jasey, a real estate lender and the son of an assemblywoman.
County Democratic organizations in Hudson and Union Counties have both officially endorsed Menendez, as have the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and most – but pointedly not all – major Hudson County politicians.
See here for a full list of endorsements in New Jersey’s 2024 congressional contests.