After Sen. Bob Menendez was indicted for bribery and refused to resign, Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) has announced a primary campaign to challenge him for his Senate seat.
Rep. Kim tweeted:
After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said “I am not going anywhere.” As a result, I feel compelled to run against him. Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity. Please join me:https://t.co/QFIaMsgJc9
— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) September 23, 2023
Sen. Menendez (D-NJ) has refused to resign and vowed to fight the charges against him. In a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, Menendez said, “Those who believe in justice believe in innocence until proven guilty. I intend to continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same success I’ve had for the past five decades. This is the same record of success these very same leaders have lauded all along. It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere.”
Menendez has not been found guilty of anything, and if he wants to go by a legal standard as justification for remaining in his seat instead of an ethical one, that is his choice, but the voters of New Jersey also deserve a choice.
Democrats would be hypocrites if they tried to disqualify Trump from the ballot while supporting Sen. Menendez for reelection.
Democratic voters in New Jersey will have a choice, but Bob Menendez and his bribery indictment won’t be allowed to skate through a Democratic primary unopposed.