Laborers back Rob Menendez for re-election

The Laborers’ International Union of North America will support Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City) this year, making it the latest and one of the largest unions to endorse the two-term congressman in his bid for re-election.

“When LiUNA has called on our leaders to step up and support working families, improve access to healthcare, address issues of affordability, and promote the creation of good, family-sustaining jobs, Rob Menendez has always been there to answer the call,” Mike Hellstrom, LiUNA’s vice president and eastern regional manager, said in a statement.

LiUNA and Menendez have long been political allies; the union, which represents more than 20,000 workers in New Jersey, previously supported the congressman in both his 2022 and 2024 races. The union said it will be “very active” in this year’s campaign, conducting labor walks, get-out-the-vote drives, and the like.

Menendez, whose 8th congressional district in urban North Jersey is safely Democratic, faces a primary challenge from Mussab Ali, the former president of the Jersey City Board of Education. The congressman successfully overcame a serious challenger in 2024 in the wake of his father’s indictment on corruption charges, but Ali is hoping that voters have grown more discontented with him since then.

Menendez will go into the June primary, however, with what is so far unanimous backing from organized labor. Also supporting Menendez’s re-election campaign are the New Jersey Education Association, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, and 32BJ SEIU, the latter two of which both remained neutral in the 2024 race but are getting involved early this year.