WASHINGTON — Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., will run for reelection Monday as an independent member of the Senate, according to two sources with direct knowledge of his plans.
NBC News had previously reported that the three-term senator had collected enough signatures to run for another term in the Senate as an independent candidate as he faces trial on federal bribery charges. His filing comes one day before the state’s deadline for independent candidates and allows him to collect fewer signatures and still gain access to the ballot; the deadline to file as a Democrat has long passed.
The New Jersey Globe first reported that Menendez plans to file on Monday.
Menendez’s decision to run for re-election also allows him to continue raising campaign funds and spending on legal fees amid the ongoing corruption trial. Menendez has denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty.
Menendez’s filing also comes on the eve of the state’s primaries, where Rep. Andy Kim is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for his seat. Kim has previously warned that an independent move by Menendez could put the deep blue state in play in November.
Kim posted on X on Monday that Menendez “is not running for NJ families. He’s running for himself. People are tired of politicians putting their own personal benefit over what’s good for the country.”
Also on Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Rob Menendez, the senator’s son, faces a competitive race in the 8th District against Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla.
A pro-Bhalla outside group called America’s Promise PAC has launched a TV ad linking Rob Menendez to his father’s trial, with a narrator saying, “They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” So it’s no wonder Rob Menendez defends his father’s corruption,” later adding that the congressman is “rotten to the core.” (Rob Menendez has not been accused of any impropriety.)
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
