Middlesex County Democratic Chairman Kevin McCabe says he’s solidly with Bob Menendez for re-election to the U.S. Senate.
“We live in a country where the presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle of our democracy,” McCabe said in a statement released this afternoon. “Bob Menendez is entitled to that presumption like any other citizen. I fully stand behind Senator Menendez, as he has stood behind the residents of Middlesex County and this state during his many years of outstanding public service.”
The U.S. Department of Justice announced yesterday that they will seek to re-try Menendez on corruption charges. A jury failed to reach a verdict last fall, with 11 of 13 jurors saying Menendez was innocent.
Under McCabe, Middlesex has emerged as one of the most influential county Democratic organizations in the State. They have an Assembly Speaker, Craig Coughlin (D-Woodbridge), and is dominant in six legislative districts. Four Democratic State Senators all chair Senate committees. Three Assembly Democrats chair committees, plus another three for Assemblymen who represent large portions of Middlesex. After Chris Christie carried Middlesex twice, Phil Murphy won it by almost 30,000 votes; that came after Middlesex played an important role in Murphy becoming the nominee. At the municipal level, Republicans victories have been limited to just a small handful of towns.