BRANCHVILLE, N.J. — Another Democrat bolted his party to endorse Republican U.S. Senate challenge Bob Hugin on Tuesday, and this particular Democrat — Branchville Mayor Tony Frato — had harsh words for the incumbent.
“The high stakes in the New Jersey Senate race are bigger than any political party which is why I’m proudly supporting Bob Hugin for U.S. Senate,” said Mayor Frato in a statement released by the GOP nominee’s campaign. “Bob Menendez has spent the last 25 years in Washington as an ineffective, corrupt career politician demonstrating time and again that he is only interested in furthering his own interests over the people of our state. New Jersey deserves better.”
“I have enjoyed bipartisan support throughout my years in public service and I have worked with people on both sides of the aisle to solve the problems our community faces. Bob Menendez has lost his way in Washington, where he seems to be serving himself instead of the constituents in New Jersey,” Frato added.
Hugin is slowly collecting Democrat endorsements, a possible sign of Menendez’s weakness after the veteran Hudson County politician lost 40% of his own party in June’s Democrat primary against an unknown and unfunded opponent.
_
