Menendez just hurts the Dem brand. Laws broken or not, it’s clear he is too close to very wealthy (and out of state?) donors. It’s way past time for someone to replace him. NJ always seems to have corruption issues on both sides of the aisle. Replacing him would give NJ voters a sense that Dems are serious about governing.
Do you think Menendez would ever leave voluntarily?
Agreed … but this challenger doesn’t seem like the guy. For a state filled with so many educated people, New Jersey’s politics is incredibly fucked up.
Menendez just needs to retire. It’s as simple as that.
This is good news. Lets hope that Mr. Hopkins runs a good campaign and wins. Menendez. needs. to. go!
Menendez must go, but an ex Fox News contributor is not exactly what I had in mind for a replacement. Seems disqualifying, but I guess I’d want to hear more details.
Oh, I don’t know about that. Just from reading his brief bio on his skeletal Web site he seems like a Democratic identity politics dream candidate:
I am the grandson of a public school teacher and a White House butler who served from Presidents Kennedy to Clinton. I am the son of a single mother who put herself through law school while raising me. Like my family, I have focused on public service, from my time as a public defender to my work on the Obama and Clinton campaigns.
He also looks like he could be the perfect Berniecrat:
There are those who will say that now is not my time, that I should be patient. But I’m part of the generation that’s going to suffer the consequences of the mistakes being made right now in Washington, where the average Senator is 63 years old. We can’t afford to wait or be silent. It’s time for the next generation of leaders to rise up.
Only time will tell if this is more than just box-checking or if this is a serious challenge to a hopelessly-entrenched Washington establishment nightmare…
If he sets up a fundraising page I will donate. Menendez is the kind of politician that we don’t need, regardless of party. He may not have violated the law, but he abused his position and used his office for private gain.
I really think this is a Trump Justice Department witch hunt, looking to discredit any Democratic they can, hoping to pick-up a Senate seat this year. I’m not saying Menendez is innocent of all charges but enough is enough. He was tried once, which ended in a hung jury. The burden of proof for these charges are just too high. However, Menendez should step aside but he won’t.
A no-name challenger is not the answer, a more established name would have to step forward to unseat him. The only saving grace NJ residents have is that if convicted, Menendez’s replacement would be chosen by Governor Murphy and not Chris Christie.
To be fair, the indictments were handed down in the spring of 2015…
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/237648-menendez-charged-with-corruption
Yes, you are correct. However, Menendez stood trial this past fall and resulted in a hung jury. Cases such as these are seldom retried because the burden of truth is so hard to establish. Just recently the judge threw out several charges from the 2 dozen from the original indictment.
Again, I’m not saying he is innocent and I’m not advocating voting for him, but I do believe this is an election year stunt by the Trump DOJ to discredit Menendez further in hopes of making his reelection competitive and picking up a Senate seat in November.
I believe he should announce that he’s not seeking reelection and let others compete for his seat but I don’t think he’ll do that. No establishment Democrat will primary him in June, which is a too bad. Instead we’re left with hoping that a no name, underfunded “outsider” can defeat him.
It’s not going to happen.