NJ Democrat ‘committed’ to Menendez challenge

Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) said he is “committed” to challenging Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) in 2024 following the incumbent’s indictment on charges of bribery. 

Kim told Punchbowl News in an interview that he will continue with his run even if Menendez resigns from his position or other candidates join in the primary race. Kim also said he has decided that he is not running for reelection to his House seat.

“I feel committed to do this and I’m going to see it through,” Kim said. 

Menendez, who has served as a senator for New Jersey since 2006, and his wife, Nadine, were indicted Friday on the bribery charges, with prosecutors alleging that they accepted “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in bribes as part of a “corrupt relationship” with three businessmen. 

The indictment states that the bribes included cash, gold bars, payments toward a mortgage and a luxury car, among others. Prosecutors allege that Menendez provided sensitive information to “secretly aid” the Egyptian government and interfere with a criminal investigation into one of the businessmen, among other actions. 

Menendez has denied the allegations and argued that the indictment is based on a “limited set of facts.” He said at a press conference Monday that he would not resign and would prove his innocence. 

Kim announced Saturday, a day after the indictment was unsealed, that he would run for Menendez’s seat in 2024, saying he felt “compelled” to challenge Menendez after the incumbent vowed he would remain in office. 

Menendez has not directly said if he will run for reelection next year. 

Kim told Punchbowl that Menendez’s statement of “I’m not going anywhere” bothered him enough that he felt he needed to run. 

“Honestly, it was that line that bothered me so much. It felt like he was thinking that he owns that seat,” he said. 

Menendez was previously indicted on unrelated bribery charges in 2015 over allegations of a corrupt relationship with a doctor from Miami. The case resulted in a hung jury, and the charges were eventually dropped.