Menendez ‘proud’ of the campaign his son ran

After winning a landslide Democratic congressional primary in New Jersey’s 8th district on Tuesday, Robert J. Menendez is almost certain to win the heavily Democratic district in the November general election.

That means U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez will be among the few lawmakers in American history to serve alongside their sons on Capitol Hill.

“I’m proud of the campaign he ran,” said Menendez, who lauded his son for what he called a “positive” and “issue focused” bid for public office.

Rob Menendez, an attorney and commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, is seeking the seat of Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York), who is retiring after sixteen years in Congress. Sires won the Hudson County-based House seat in 2006 after Bob Menendez left to take a seat in the United States Senate.

“I think that type of positive campaign got a resounding response in the election,”  said Menendez, the state’s senior U.S. Senator.

Indeed, Menendez outperformed his father’s first bid for the same House seat 30 years ago.  Rob Menendez won the primary with 84% — his father received 68% .With some ballots still uncounted, he has tallied a total of 24,542 votes; Bob Menendez received 24,245 votes in his 1992 primary against Robert Haney, Jr.

There was never much doubt about whether the legacy candidate would win the Democratic nomination. He had the support of all the three Democratic county organizations and major state and local Democrat  And with a district that voted for Joe Biden by 45 points, there is little concern for his success in the fall against Republican Marcos Arroyo.

Menendez was happy still to offer his endorsement.

“I definitely endorse the Democratic candidate for the 8th district,” he told the New Jersey Globe.