Embattled Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has one week to gather enough signatures and file for reelection as an independent in New Jersey ahead of the state’s primary.
Menendez, who said he would seek reelection as an independent, must gather and file 800 signatures by the state’s primary on June 4. He is currently facing federal corruption charges of benefiting the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
“I am hopeful that my exoneration will take place this summer and allow me to pursue my candidacy as an independent Democrat in the general election,” Menendez said. His trial is expected to last through June.
According to the New Jersey Globe, Menendez is using his longtime network of friends in Hudson County, New Jersey, where he got his political start in his 20s, to circulate his petition. It is currently not clear how many people, if any, are supporting Menendez’s bid for reelection.
His filing could keep his doors open in an attempt to keep his Senate seat. It could also enhance his bargaining position if a three-way race between a Democrat, Republican, and Menendez puts the solidly Democratic New Jersey Senate seat in play for the November general election.
Menendez does not personally need to be the one to file for candidacy as he will likely be in Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in Manhattan on Tuesday for his trial.
His return to the Senate looks unlikely as his only path back is to win as an independent. In New Jersey, the highest percentage of votes an independent candidate garnered was 5.8% in the 2009 governor’s race.
His campaign is also losing the cash it once had to his mounting legal bills. In September 2023, before his indictment, he had more than $8.5 million cash on hand. A recent report filed yesterday with the Federal Election Commission shows his fundraising has slowed and cash on hand is around $3.6 million.
Scandal-ridden politicians are no stranger to New Jersey, but seeking reelection in the face of scandal has mixed results. Some New Jersey politicians have kept their seats in Congress, as Republican Rep. Cornelius Edward “Neil” Gallagher did when he quarreled with a former FBI director and was alleged to have ties to the Mafia, but some wind up in local politics on school boards or out of the public eye for good.
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While the filing deadline is in June, the three-term senator has until Aug. 16 to make a final decision on whether he will appear on the ballot or withdraw his name from the running.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Menendez for comment.