AFSCME New Jersey Council 63 is backing U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) for re-election, referring to him as “a champion for organized labor in New Jersey.”
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Rob Menendez has a proven record of supporting the services that AFSCME members provide for the people in the 8th District, and he has been a champion for organized labor in New Jersey,” AFSCME NJ Council 63 Executive Director Steven Tully said in a statement.
“AFSCME New Jersey is proud to endorse Rob for re-election!”
AFSCME represents more than 20,000 active state, municipal, and local employees throughout our state.
There are more than 30,000 retired and current AFSCME members living in New Jersey and their support of Menendez is not much surprise, since they endorsed him in 2022 and he has already secured various other labor endorsements.
“New Jersey would not function without the thousands of dedicated AFSCME members that support it every day,” Menendez added.
“I always stand with our working families, our unions, and our public employees. In Congress, I will keep working tirelessly to introduce legislation that seeks to uplift all our residents – such as the PRO Act and the Working Families Task Force Act. It is an honor to be supported by AFSCME and I look forward to our continued collaboration for the incredible people of New Jersey’s 8th District.”
Menendez faces an aggressive challenger in Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who has raised over a million dollars and has also been consistent in calling for the resignation of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) as he faces federal corruption charges.
Another Democratic, Kyle Jasey, the son of longtime Assemblywoman Mila Jasey, is also declared for the June 4th contest and the filing deadline is Monday, March 25th.
Menendez is crooked. It is amazing how people put everything aside in the interest of money. It’s very disturbing and speaks ill of the human condition.
AFSCME NJ Council 63, please reconsider your endorsement of Congressman Rob Menendez. Since Senator Menendez, his father, has been indicted in September, 2023 of using his office as Senator to sell his services to actors of foreign governments in exchange for vast amounts of cash and at least 13 gold bars, Congressman Rob Menendez, his son, has, in effect, by denying these alleged actions of his father, actually defended the actions his father has allegedly done. It has very recently been reported, that while the senator will not run in the Democratic Primary, he is considering running the the General Election as an independent, in other words, pulling a “Joe Lieberman”, ( who, as an incumbent U.S. Senator of Connecticut lost the senate primary some years ago to current Governor Ned Lamont, but defeated him in the general election as an independent.) The glaring difference here is that if Senator Menendez follows through and runs as an independent in the general election, his actions could give the all-important NJ US Senate seat to the republican. I realize Congressman Menendez in in a tough predicament. But he really does have to choose between his love of his very wayward father, and his DUTY to his constituents.
In West New York, Senator Menendez’s most recent very corrupt actions that have landed him these very serious charges, have had a very significant impact on our Body Politic. I would love to know, and we ALL should know, exactly when Robert Menendez knew that his father had allegedly committed these serious crimes. I am certain, that if our good Mayor Albio Sires knew of Senator Menendez’s latest alleged criminal acts, he NEVER would have decided to give up his seat as our Distinguished U. S. Congressman, so that the undeserving son of his predecessor could waltz right in on his father’s “royal” coattails. Months after Congressman Sires announced that he was not seeking re-election, during the same month ( June, 2022) that the Senator’s Son – cue John Fogherty of Credence Clearwater Revival singing “…It ain’t me, it ain’t me, baby, I ain’t no Senator’s Son” – was coasting to a primary victory for the Sires-vacated Congressional seat, the father of the “Senator’s Son” was having his residence raided by the FBI, which found nearly $1 million in cash and gold bars.
Our highly effective Congressman Sires was no-doubt lied to by Senator Menendez, who, knowing that he would probably get caught, called in a favor to get Congressman Sires to retire from that office so his own son could become his legacy. The actions that Senator Menendez set in motion ( as well as the unfortunate pitting of Senator Stack and Senator Sacco in the same district) caused a forced musical chairs realignment of candidates that forced a Good Congressman Sires to give up his seat, a Good Assemblywoman Angelica Jiminez out, a Good Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez out, and an unintended schism on our Good West New York Board of Commissioners.
AFSCME, and all voters, demand of Congressman Menendez to publicly state where he stands on his father’s alleged high crimes. Shane on all of us if we allow an unapologetic Congressman Menendez to be our nominee (again) while his morally challenged father fiddles on the ballot as an Independent Senate candidate as our Democracy burns in November and beyond.