(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has announced he will run for re-election as an Independent, following calls for his resignation due to a federal indictment for taking bribes, acting as a foreign agent and obstructing justice.
By running as an Independent, Menendez becomes the third Senate Democrat to leave the party before the 2024 election. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have also left the Democratic Party, citing its shift to the far left.
Menendez’s decision was first reported on Monday by the New Jersey Globe, which noted he had gathered the 2,000 signatures required to qualify for the Senate race.
“Today, I submitted well above the threshold of signatures required to run for re-election,” Menendez wrote in a campaign press release. “The people of this great state deserve a leader in Washington with a proven track record of fighting tooth and nail to deliver results, and I intend to keep doing so as an independent Democrat.”
— Menendez for NJ (@BobMenendezNJ) June 3, 2024
Menendez expressed regret over leaving the Democratic Party, saying, “It displeases me to have to go this route, thanks to overzealous prosecutors, but I will do what must be done to continue to uphold my oath of office for my constituents.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., has secured the Democratic nomination for the 2024 general election.
First elected as senator in 2006, Menendez is seeking a fourth term but faces significant challenges due to mounting legal issues.
Federal prosecutors allege that Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, accepted bribes from the Egyptian government.
Specifically, the DOJ claims Menendez served as a foreign agent for Egypt, and a superseding indictment later accused him of working for the Qatari government. He also faces charges of obstructing justice.
Despite calls from at least 30 Senate Democrats for his resignation, Menendez has only stepped down from his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
