The Hudson County Building and Construction Trades Council is supporting U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) for re-election, sticking with the incumbent after backing him for the open seat in 2022.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“When we endorsed Rob in 2022, we did so because we believed he was going to deliver for the members of our unions, and we are proud to support him again because he has done exactly that,” said Hudson County Building and Construction Trades Council President Pat Kelleher.
“Rob has brought back over $11 billion in federal funds for the Eighth Congressional District, much of which is going to projects like the Gateway Program that will create good-paying jobs for our members. Rob also shows up, listens to our members, and fights for our priorities, including the Working Families Task Force Act which will support many of the families in our unions and co-sponsoring the PRO Act which will ensure many more Americans have the right to organize and benefit from being in unions like ours.”
The is the second labor endorsement for Menendez this week after announcing the backing of the Hudson County Central Labor Council on Monday.
Menendez already has the support of Hudson County Democratic Organization Chair Anthony Vainieri, all three local state senators: Angela McKnight (D-31), Raj Mukherji (D-32, both of whom are senator-elects), and Brian Stack (D-32), Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, and the Hudson County Board of Commissioners.
He has two declared challengers thus far: Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and Kyle Jasey, the son of former Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-27).
While the 8th District is largely a Hudson County seat, it also includes Newark and Elizabeth. Mayor Ras Baraka and the Union County Democratic Organization have also signed on for Menendez’s re-election bid.
The elder Menendez, the former chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is facing corruption charges that include accepting bribes in the form of gold bars, cash, and a car, among other things, in exchange for his influence.
Two superseding indictments, the latest which was unsealed last week, further accuses him of acting as a foreign agent to Egypt and accepting bribes from developer Fred Dabies to help facilitate a deal with the Qatar government.
Senator Menendez has pleaded not guilty to all charges and filed a motion to dismiss yesterday and he has not yet stated outright if he plans to seek re-election or not. The filing deadline is March 25th, with a trial date currently set for May 6th.
The HCDO endorsed First Lady Tammy Murphy, the wife of Gov. Phil Murphy (D), hours after she announced her candidacy in November, eliminating the possibility of them supporting both Menendezes in the June 4th primary.
