Many top Hispanic politicians aren’t abandoning Menendez quite so quickly

Following his indictment on federal bribery charges, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez has been abandoned by a vast swath of the Democratic Party, both nationally and at home in New Jersey. But some Hispanic and Latino Democrats are proving to be the exception to the rule.

Besides Menendez, the U.S. Senate counts three other Hispanic Democrats as members: Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), Alex Padilla (D-California), and Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico). All three have specifically declined to call on Menendez to resign, in contrast to a majority of their Senate Democratic colleagues.

The highest-ranking Hispanic elected official in New Jersey state government, State Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), has not called for Menendez to resign, either. Neither have the state’s other two Latina senators, State Sens. Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-Barrington) and Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon).

And the one congressman who has explicitly stood by Menendez is New Jersey’s lone Hispanic House member, Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey) – though being the son of Senator Menendez is probably a confounding factor there.

Just this morning, Janet Murguía, the leader of the national Latino advocacy group UnidosUS, specifically highlighted Menendez’s advocacy for the Latino community and declined to call for him to resign.

“I have known Senator Menendez for more than 30 years as a dedicated public servant and one of the most unwavering and tireless champions ever for the Latino community,” Murguía said in a statement. “In my opinion, he deserves to have his day in court and the time to decide what is in the best interests of his constituents.”

To be sure, there are some prominent Hispanic Democrats who have broken with Menendez. New Jersey’s two Hispanic county Democratic leaders, Morris County Democratic chair Amalia Duarte and Hunterdon County Democratic chair Arlene Quiñones Perez, have both called on the senator to resign, as has Rep. Pete Aguilar, the House Democratic Caucus chair and the highest-ranking Latino in Congress.

Menendez himself has made ethnicity a core part of his argument against the federal charges, arguing that his political enemies are motivated by a hatred of Latino political power.

“Those behind this campaign simply cannot accept that a first-generation Latino American from humble beginnings could rise to be a U.S. Senator and serve with honor and distinction,” Menendez said shortly after the charges were first unsealed.

Menendez was the first Latino ever elected to Congress from New Jersey, and his political base remains the state’s Hispanic community. His only realistic shot at winning renomination in 2024 probably involves winning Hispanic areas by a landslide once again while various challengers split the remainder of the vote.

But even among Hispanic voters, it appears that Menendez’s standing has fallen significantly since his indictment. A poll released this morning by VoteVets, which is supporting Menendez primary challenger Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), found that just 27% of New Jersey’s Hispanic and Latino voters have a favorable opinion of Menendez, versus 52% unfavorable.