After a tough primary where he prevailed by about 15 points, U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) was easily elected to a second term in the general election today.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Early voting and vote-by-mail tallies from the Hudson County Clerk’s Office have Menendez leading 46,125, roughly 62 percent, to 22,420, roughly, 30 percent, for GOP nominee Anthony Valdes.
In the portion of Newark in the 8th District, Menendez leads 3,183 to 1,329, according to the Essex County Clerk’s Office, while the incumbent has an advantage of 3,414 to 2,381 in Elizabeth, per the Union County Clerk’s Office.
Even with the astronomical turnout for the presidential race, the navy blue 8th District was always going to favor Menendez, despite support for Donald Trump rubbing off on Valdes to some extent.
Menendez’s really fight was against Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, where the congressman won 12 of the 14 municipalities, though the challenger made it a scrap, raising millions and hitting the incumbent early and often over his father, then-U.S. Senator Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ), corruption charges.
This time around, it was a far easier slog, though whether or not Menendez returns to a Democratic majority in Washington remains to be seen as many tight federal races, including Trump vs. Vice President Kamala Harris, aren’t expected to be called tonight.
Earlier today at a campaign stop in Weehawken, Menendez expressed enthusiasm and optimism for Harris, 7th Congressional District Democratic nominee Sue Altman, and U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D-3), who has already been declared the U.S. senator-elect this evening.
