Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage and Elizabeth Democratic Municipal Chair Maria Carvalho have endorsed Rep. Robert J. Menendez (D-Jersey City), a move that assures the freshman congressman the Union County organization line next year.
“Rob Menendez has been a strong advocate for the City of Elizabeth and for Union County as a whole in the 118th Congress,” the three said in a joint statement.
His re-election could face some hurdles next year as Menendez seeks to explain to voters that he is not his father, Robert Menendez, a three-term U.S. Senator under indictment on federal corruption charges.
Menendez faces a primary challenge from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and newcomer Kyle Jasey, the son of outgoing Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-South Orange).
The backer that matters most for Menendez is Carvalho. As the lone Democratic chair in the Union County portion of New Jersey’s 8th district, awarding the line for Congress is her decision alone. And he will be on the line with Bollwage, an extraordinarily popular mayor who is expected to seek his ninth term in Elizabeth, the state’s fourth-largest city.
Union County was 11% of the vote in the last Democratic primary in the 8th. Three-quarters (75%) of the Democratic primary voters live in Hudson County, where Menendez has also secured organization backing.
“Congressman Menendez has fiercely defended Democratic values while delivering results for his constituents,” said Scutari, Bollwage and Carvalho. “We know we can count on Congressman Menendez to continue to fight for the issues that mean the most to 8th District Democrats: making our state and nation more affordable, protecting a woman’s right to reproductive freedom, and stopping MAGA extremists in the House from pushing their radical agenda.”
After assembling party support for re-election, Menendez is the favorite to win a second term, but he still faces some hurdles. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop has called on Democrats to replace Menendez, and Bhalla could negative the county line obstacle by teaming up with another U.S. Senate candidate, Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown).
In Essex and Hudson, Menendez will be on the line with U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Murphy – the congressman is expected to endorse her even as his father plays with a possible re-election campaign. Scutari has not yet indicated a choice in the Senate race, although he is widely expected to be with Murphy.