(NewsSpace.com) – Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is in the midst of a scandal where he is accused of engaging in a bribery scheme and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. On Thursday, March 21, he announced that he would not be seeking reelection as a Democrat, but didn’t close the door on running as an Independent, saying he hopes his “exoneration will take place this summer” so he can focus his efforts on a campaign. In the aftermath of the announcement, several names arose as a possible replacement, but one has since dropped out.
Tammy Murphy, wife of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D), had been campaigning to replace Menendez but has since decided to suspend her efforts. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, she pointed to the fact that “continuing in this race will involve a very divisive and negative campaign,” something she is unwilling to do. She also noted that there is “so much at stake for our nation,” with former President Donald Trump as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, that she refuses to “waste resources tearing down a fellow Democrat.”
Murphy’s withdrawal paves the way for Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) to take the seat. Kim, should he win, would be the first Korean member of the Senate. Kim had also previously filed a lawsuit challenging one of the New Jersey electoral system’s essential components, “the line,” which permits county leaders to place their preferred candidates in a preferential ballot position. A ruling is expected on that matter in the next few weeks. However, the move served as a catalyst for Murphy’s withdrawal.
While New Jersey hasn’t elected a Republican to the Senate since 1972, that hasn’t stopped several candidates from entering the race. Former newscaster Alex Zdan was one, though he dropped out of the race as well. His decision leaves Christine Serrano-Glassner, the Mendham Borough mayor, and Curtis Bashaw, a real estate developer, to battle it out.
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