Menendez has more than $1 million on-hand to defend himself from Ali challenge

Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City) raised $504,000 in the last three months, his campaign announced today, and has more than $1 million to defend himself in the June Democratic primary.

That’s by far the most money Menendez has raised during any individual fundraising quarter since beating back a well-funded primary foe in 2024; Menendez also said he’s “given and raised $223,000 for House Democrats to retake the majority.”

In other Menendez campaign news, the two-term congressman has hired Ryan Eustace as his 2026 campaign manager. Eustace recently managed Emily Jabbour’s successful campaign for mayor of Hoboken – Jabbour endorsed Menendez for re-election just yesterday – and previously worked for then-Jersey City Councilman, now-Mayor James Solomon.

“Since day one of this campaign, we have executed on a strategy that will give us a decisive advantage heading into June,” Menendez said in a statement. “We have built a strong, diverse coalition of support, raised over $500,000 this quarter alone, earned key endorsements, and brought on a seasoned campaign manager.”

Menendez’s primary foe, former Jersey City school board president Mussab Ali, announced last week that he’d raised $183,000 during the first two months of his campaign.

All in all, while Ali is running an active and aggressive campaign, there are few signs that the race is going to become the same kind of expensive brawl as 2024, when Menendez fended off then-Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla to win a second term in the wake of his father’s indictment. Menendez and Bhalla both spent more than $2 million that cycle, and outside groups supporting both candidates poured in millions more.