NJ Spotlight News
Sen. Menendez trial overshadows CD-8 race
Clip: 6/4/2024 | 4m 23sVideo has Closed Captions
Without a party-line ballot, this primary election tests the power of Dem organizations
The corruption trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is overshadowing a knock-down, drag-out Democratic primary battle in New Jersey's 8th Congressional District, where the senator's son, U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, is running for reelection. The first-term incumbent once benefited from his father's political influence, but this time, voters are seeing the relationship through a very different lens.
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NJ Spotlight News is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS
NJ Spotlight News
Sen. Menendez trial overshadows CD-8 race
Clip: 6/4/2024 | 4m 23sVideo has Closed Captions
The corruption trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is overshadowing a knock-down, drag-out Democratic primary battle in New Jersey's 8th Congressional District, where the senator's son, U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, is running for reelection. The first-term incumbent once benefited from his father's political influence, but this time, voters are seeing the relationship through a very different lens.
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With his father on trial, incumbent Democratic Congressman Rob Menendez is facing a tough primary challenge from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla in New Jersey's eighth District, which spans the deeply blue areas of parts of Hudson, Essex and Union counties.
The Menendez name was once thought of as an advantage, but political analysts say it may now prove to be a liability as the race has gotten increasingly nasty.
Accusations and attack ads are being lobbed from all sides.
The pool of candidates also includes Democrat Kyle J.C.
He's the son of former state Assemblywoman Myla J.C. and Republican Anthony Valdez.
Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan takes a look at this contentious race.
Flanked by a press of TV news cameras.
Democrat Rob Menendez voted in Jersey City on a morning marked by relatively low voter turnout and no small irony.
Two years ago, Rob Menendez reaped votes one by 70% as the son of senior Senator Bob Menendez.
But now his father's embroiled in a scandalous court fight featuring gold bars and federal bribery charges.
Today, the eighth District incumbent called that noise.
You look at our track record, you look at what we've done.
This campaign has been focused on what is within our control, focused on making sure that every single day we're blocking out the noise and delivering our message of our results, proven results.
We've had enough of party bosses, whether it's Senator Menendez or that machine, that the establishment vote for the people, not the politicians.
Ravi Bahl is also a politician and the mayor of Hoboken, but he saw an opening and took a shot at challenging Menendez.
The two Democrats agree on many issues, but the campaign soon ignited into a dumpster fire of negative ads, with Menendez hitting Bhalla over ethics issues and Bala slapping back over embattled Menendez senior.
Let's follow with the ethics issues disciplined by New Jersey and New York for being a sleazy lawyer.
They found Bala unethical, dishonest and deceitful.
Now Rob's defending his father's corruption again, saying he strongly believes in his father's integrity and values.
Junior covers for Senior and New Jersey pays the price.
I feel, you know, in Hudson County, a Democrat usually sails to reelection, but I feel that his father drags him down.
A brief sampling showed Menendez the father's corruption trial has impacted public opinion and voter choice one way or another.
I'm talking about his father.
Yeah, and it's hard to separate that.
So the sins of the father do transfer to the son for you, perhaps?
Yeah, he's his son.
You can't blame Hancock.
Why?
His father did.
Comprende?
Yeah.
So see what happens.
Meanwhile, Rob Menendez must deal with another hurdle.
For the first time, New Jersey's notorious county line ballots abolished, at least for Democrats.
Menendez drew last place in the new design, but his name still resonates with Hispanic voters, who comprise more than half the district.
I'm going to support him because he's Latino, maybe without a county line ballot.
This primary election tests, whether or not powerful political machines can still get out the vote.
Hudson County's working to crank them out for Menendez.
These are very entrenched voters that typically do what the Democratic Party likes to do.
So for Bolla to take this, he'd have to do really big numbers in Elizabeth or Newark, I think.
And that just doesn't seem practical.
Hudson View reporter John Hiner says Governor Murphy turned up at a menendez rally over the weekend and mayors like Brian Stack in Union City will drive voters to the polls for the incumbent congressman capping a brutal race.
Look, it was very bloody.
It was very dirty.
They hate each other with everything the kitchen sink, the toilet and the plunger.
But at the end of the day, I don't think the end result is going to be terribly surprising.
He says, Kyle, J.C., the third Democratic candidate, will probably pull votes from Bala.
Republican Anthony Valdez's is running unopposed.
Polls close at 8 p.m..
In Jersey City, I'm Brenda Flanagan, NJ.
Spotlight News.
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