{"id":2254757,"date":"2024-05-29T04:11:01","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T08:11:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-jersey-democrats-to-take-first-step-to-ditch-embattled-bob-menendez\/"},"modified":"2024-05-29T04:14:32","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T08:14:32","slug":"new-jersey-democrats-to-take-first-step-to-ditch-embattled-bob-menendez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-jersey-democrats-to-take-first-step-to-ditch-embattled-bob-menendez\/","title":{"rendered":"New Jersey Democrats to initiate moves to replace embattled Bob Menendez"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-jersey-democrats-to-take-first-step-to-ditch-embattled-bob-menendez%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2254757&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The New Jersey\u200c Democratic primary will soon determine \u200ba potential replacement for Senator Bob Menendez, currently facing federal\u200d charges. Despite Menendez&#8217;s vow\u2064 to run\u200b as an &#8220;independent&#8221; Democrat if acquitted,\u200c Democrats are moving to distance themselves. Rep. Andy Kim is expected to \u2063win the\u2062 primary, bringing reform to the \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nyc-republican-blasts-democratic-opponent-who-got-caught-using-ai-to-answer-media-questions\/\" title=\"NYC Republican slams Democratic rival for AI-assisted media responses\">local political landscape<\/a> with significant support. The upcoming New Jersey Democratic primary will decide a possible successor to \u200dSenator Bob Menendez, who is under \u200dfederal \u2062charges.\u2062 Despite Menendez&#8217;s plan \u200bto \u200drun \u200dindependently \u2064if cleared, Democrats \u200bare aiming to create separation. Rep. Andy Kim \u2062is anticipated to secure victory in the\u2064 primary, \u200bheralding\u2064 reform in local politics with \u200bsubstantial backing.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The Democratic primary for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-jersey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"New Jersey\">New Jersey<\/a>\u2019s Senate race will be decided next week, where voters will nominate their candidate who will likely replace Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bob-menendez\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Bob Menendez\">Bob Menendez<\/a> (D-NJ) in Congress.<\/p>\n<p>But it won\u2019t definitively mean Menendez, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3001819\/bob-menendez-corruption-trial-everything-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"currently on trial\">currently on trial<\/a> for federal charges of public corruption, bribery, and acting as a foreign agent, will be off the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/company-leading-arizona-recount-asks-court-that-procedures-be-kept-secret\/\" title=\"Company Leading Arizona Recount Asks Court That Procedures Be Kept Secret\">general election ballot<\/a> come November.<\/p>\n<p>The third-term embattled senator did not file for the primary but is vowing to run for reelection as an \u201cindependent\u201d Democrat if he\u2019s acquitted.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the nomination will put Democrats one step closer to putting Menendez behind them, as most Senate Democrats have called on him to resign. He was stripped of his Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairmanship but has continued to attend classified briefings on the Hill, to the chagrin of some Democratic colleagues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019ll make Menendez a dead breed, in many instances,\u201d said Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf, whose clients have included former President Bill Clinton and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.<\/p>\n<p>Sheinkopf noted that the Menendez name in New Jersey politics will still persist, at least for the time being. Menendez\u2019s son, Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ), is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3019152\/rob-menendez-new-jersey-house-seat-under-shadow-fathers-corruption-trial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"seeking to keep his House seat\">seeking to keep his House seat<\/a> under the shadow of his father. <\/p>\n<p>Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) is expected to glide to victory in the June 4 primary after Tammy Murphy, the wife of New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, dropped out earlier in the race. She said in March that it had become \u201cclear to me that continuing in this race will involve waging a very divisive and negative campaign, which I am not willing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kim is facing two Democratic opponents: progressive activist Lawrence Hamm, who unsuccessfully ran against Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) in 2020, and labor leader Patricia Campos Medina, who would be the first Latina from New Jersey in Congress.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Rep. Andy Kim talks to reporters at the Bergen County Democratic convention in Paramus, N.J., Monday, March 4, 2024. In New Jersey, the Senate seat held by Democrat Bob Menendez has become competitive because he was indicted last year on federal corruption charges. And so far, Andy Kim, a Democratic congressman who\u2019s seeking the nomination, is winning some important support on the county level. Right now, he\u2019s up against Tammy Murphy, a first-time candidate who\u2019s married to the governor, Phil Murphy. (AP Photo\/Seth Wenig)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Early voting starts on Wednesday. Kim is heavily favored to win the primary and the general.<\/p>\n<p>Sheinkopf hailed Kim as a \u201creformer\u201d over the candidate\u2019s lawsuit to end New Jersey\u2019s \u201ccounty line\u201d primary ballot, a move that could have ripple effects in local elections across the Garden State. A judge ruled in Kim\u2019s favor this spring that the controversial ballot design, which gives an advantage to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tammy-murphys-campaign-manager-exits-as-the-campaign-struggles-to-keep-momentum\/\" title=\"Tammy Murphy's campaign manager departs amidst momentum challenges\">party-backed candidates<\/a> by strategically placing endorsed candidates together, will not be used in the June primary.<\/p>\n<p>Menendez is charged with acting as a foreign agent to the governments of Egypt and Qatar, and as part of that alleged endeavor is also accused of accepting lavish bribes like gold bars and cash from two New Jersey businessmen, obstruction of justice, fraud, and extortion.<\/p>\n<p>Menendez has denied any wrongdoing. His defense has consisted of blaming his wife, Nadine Menendez, who is also charged in the case, and downplaying his actions as normal constituent and political business. His trial began May 13.<\/p>\n<p>The clock is ticking for him to mount his longshot independent bid with the deadline fast approaching in the middle of his trial. Menendez must gather and file 800 signatures by the June 4 primary, which he\u2019s in the process of doing, according to the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/newjerseyglobe.com\/congress\/bob-menendez-circulating-petition-to-mount-independent-re-election-bid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New Jersey Globe<\/a><\/em>. The status of his effort and the number of signatories gathered was unclear.<\/p>\n<p>Menendez entirely off the ballot this fall would bring a sigh of relief to Senate Democrats, most of whom have long been ready to ditch him politically. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is the lone leadership member to decline to call for his resignation. But Schumer has made clear his disapproval of Menendez\u2019s conduct, initially saying he was \u201cdeeply disappointed and disturbed\u201d by the allegations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe all know that for senators there is a much, much higher standard, and clearly, when you read the indictment, Sen. Menendez fell way, way below that standard,\u201d Schumer told reporters in September. <\/p>\n<p>Prompted by the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> earlier this month whether Menendez should face expulsion from the chamber if convicted, Schumer demurred. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s on trial,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I\u2019m not going to comment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) has been relentless in his advocacy for Menendez\u2019s ouster, but he remains on an island of his own as the only Democrat willing to call for expulsion. <\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Kim could find himself working in the Senate sooner than expected. Should Menendez, 70, resign or be evicted from the Senate by his peers, Kim could be appointed by the governor to fill the vacancy until he\u2019s elected.<\/p>\n<p>But if convicted, Menendez could theoretically continue to serve in the Senate, cast votes, and even be reelected in November.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The upcoming New Jersey Democratic primary will determine the potential replacement for Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) in Congress. Despite the outcome, Menendez, facing federal charges including corruption and bribery, may not be ousted immediately<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2254758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24135480997984.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2254757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24135480997984.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2254757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2254757"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2254757\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2254758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2254757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2254757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2254757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}