U.S. Senator Bob Menendez will seek re-election, according to his top political advisor.
“Senator Menendez fully expects to be vindicated and has every intention of running for re-election, continuing to fight against Donald Trump’s policies on behalf of New Jersey,” Michael Soliman said in a statement released tonight.
Democrats quickly rallied to support Menendez today, with Gov. Phil Murphy, Sen. Cory Booker and South Jersey Democratic leader George Norcross among a large group of party leaders who indicated their willingness to stick with the senior Senator. Some of the statements were stronger than others – Bergen County Democratic Chairman Louis Stellato said Menendez had his “unwavering support.”
Publicly, only one Democrat has indicated a willingness to even consider a primary challenge against Menendez: Michael Starr Hopkins, a part-time TV pundit who worked on the Clinton campaign in Colorado, has formed an exploratory committee.