Scandal-ridden Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has taken a tumble in polls, which means his re-election isn’t such a sure thing.
Menendez only has a four point lead over his Republican challenger Bob Hugin, a former pharmaceutical executive.
The poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University found that 28% of the people asked would vote for Menendez while 24% chose Hugin.
HOWEVER! 46% of those polled remain undecided:
“Senator Menendez’s recent federal trial and bipartisan admonishment by his Senate colleagues are clearly taking their toll. It’s not uncommon for incumbents to cruise to reelection, but these numbers suggest he’s going to have to woo voters like he hasn’t had to in a long time,” said Krista Jenkins, director of the poll and professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University.Although a bare majority of Democrats say they support Menendez (53%), 42 percent remain undecided, with slightly more Republicans supportive of their presumptive nominee (60%). Most of the all-important self-identified independents (68%) would not know for whom to vote if the election were held today.
Last November, a jury came back deadlocked and a judge declared a mistrial in the corruption case against Menendez. He faced charges for bribery, honesty services fraud, and conspiracy. He allegedly used his position in the Senate “to proffer favors for big-moneyed campaign donor, Dr. Salomon Melgen.
He may have escaped jail time, but in April, the Senate Ethics Committee publicly “severely” admonished Menendez and ordered him to repay gifts. The committee concluded that his “actions violated Senate Rules and related statutes, and reflected discredit upon the Senate.”
Jenkins stated that the ethics committee decision came now instead of later this year because it gives him “time before November to reclaim a more favorable place in the heart of his constituents.”
Hugin’s spokeswoman Megan Piwowar said the results aren’t a surprise since “[W]hen given the choice between a proven job creator and former Marine like Bob Hugin, and a corrupt ineffective career politician like Bob Menendez, voters will continue to move steadily in our direction.”
RealClearPolitics and The Cook Political Report have New Jersey as Likely Democrat.
New Jersey’s primary happens on June 5. It’s predicted that Menendez will beat his challenger Lisa McCormick, a community newspaper publisher, and Hugin will come out on top of businessman Brian Goldberg.
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