This just got more interesting, Save Jerseyans…
Multi-time indicted U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is apparently considering an independent run for reelection this fall; that’s according to a Thursday report from NBC News.
“He is now making calls to allies about his record and career and is preparing to collect petitions to run in November as an independent, the sources said,” per NBC. “If Menendez were to run as a Democrat, he would need to come up with 1,000 signatures by March 25 — so time is not on his side. But running as an independent would give him more time; in that case, he would need only 800 signatures by June 4 to qualify for the ballot.”
It seems more likely that, if Menendez actually runs, his true aim would be fundraising for his legal woes, not so much because he harbors a realistic expectation that he can concede. A recent poll found his approval rating languishing at 16%; the veteran Hudson politician has been disowned by the establishment and the base, and he’s far behind Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy (the Democrat contenders to succeed him).
Using a political campaign to pay for lawyers is a well-tested tactic. For the last six months of 2023, former President Trump’s affiliated committees had reportedly expended approximately $27 million on legal fees expenses. The grand total for 2023 was a staggering $50 million.
The real beneficiary of a Menendez independent run could be the Republican Senate nominee.
New Jersey has voted for a Republican U.S. Senate nominee since before Watergate, but if an independent Menendez pulled even 10% of the November electorate? Presumably from Democrats who recognize his name or perhaps would rather vote for a crook than Tammy Murphy? That could hypothetically be enough in a competitive contest to produce a narrow GOP upset.
Wouldn’t it be something if “Gold Bar Bob” was the deciding factor in handing the U.S. Senate to Republicans?
