Rep. Rob Menendez Jr. (D-N.J.) defeated Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla in a hotly contested Democratic primary, according to AP.
Why it matters: The son of Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) faced difficult political headwinds after his father was indicted on explosive federal bribery charges, with prosecutors accusing him of taking payments in the form of gold bars.
- Bob Menendez has denied the allegations and is mounting a longshot independent bid to hold onto to his Senate seat.
Conext: Menendez, the former commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, was easily elected in 2022 with heavy establishment support.
- Bhalla, a former civil rights lawyer, launched his bid last December saying he wanted to give voters "a choice."
State of play: Rob Menendez enjoyed establishment support again this year in both New Jersey and Washington, D.C., where top House Democrats including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) held a fundraiser for him last month.
- But Bhalla managed to out-raise him, bringing in just over $2 million to $1.6 million raised by Rob Menendez, according to the Federal Election Commission.
What's next: The Democratic primary win all but assures Menendez's election to a second term in New Jersey's safely Democratic 8th congressional district.
