8th District congressional challenger Ricardo Rojas announced he was dropping out of the race last night, reflecting that “success is not a logistical possibility.”
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“After long and hard discussions, I am suspending this campaign. We worked extremely hard this past month, and I now see that the runway is too short; that success is not a logistical possibility,” Rojas said in a statement.
“Making this decision was extremely difficult, but it’s made out of respect to our volunteers, our campaign team, and our progressive movement.”
He also indicated that hired staff will receive severance packages and that all contributions will be refunded, providing his email, ricluirojas@gmail.com, if needed.
Rojas declared his candidacy on January 12th, the same day he filed with the Federal Elections Commission.
Identifying as a co-founder of Progressive Democrats of New Jersey (PDNJ) and their Hudson chapter (PDHC), Rojas said he will continue to be involved in the fight against the political machine.
“I have not lost faith that the political aristocracy in NJ will fall eventually. All unjust systems lay the seeds of their own destruction. This toxic political culture has existed for over a century, so it will take time for our movement to reap that harvest. I started this journey as a continuation of the organizing work I had been doing for years already,” he added.
“The love and joy that fueled this effort compels me to continue organizing. I’ll be taking the lessons learned through this venture to continue to aid progressive candidates for local office after a bit of a break. I thank you all for believing in me and for your support. I thank Almighty God for the opportunity to have gotten a little taste of this dream.”
With Rojas out of the race, Rob Menendez, the son of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), has an even clearer path to victory, already boasting the support of incumbent U.S. Rep. Albio Sires and the vast majority of the Democratic power brokers in Hudson and Union Counties.
For the moment though, he still has a declared opponent in David Ocampo Grajales and there is still plenty of time before the April 4th filing deadline.