New Jersey first lady fielding calls to run for Menendez seat

New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy is facing calls to run for Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-N.J.) Senate seat in 2024, a person familiar with the discussions confirmed to The Hill. 

The source told The Hill that if Murphy were to decide to run, they didn’t anticipate an announcement until after the 2023 legislative elections. The news was first reported by The New Jersey Globe.

Menendez is facing a growing number of calls both in the Garden State and in Washington, D.C., to step down after he and his wife were indicted Friday for allegedly using the senator’s connections to benefit several businessmen in New Jersey and the country of Egypt — while the New Jersey couple received hundreds of dollars in return.

However, Menendez has vowed to stay in office during his current term, denying any allegations of wrongdoing.

“The allegations leveled against me are just that: allegations,” Menendez said during a press conference Monday. “I recognized that this will be the biggest fight yet. But as I have stated through this whole process, I firmly believe that when all of the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I will still be New Jersey’s senior senator.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) was one of the first Democrats to call for Menendez to resign.

“These are serious charges that implicate national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system,” Murphy said in a statement Friday. “The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state.”

Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who called on the New Jersey senator to resign, announced a run for Menendez’s seat Saturday. 

Though the nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates Menendez’s seat as “solid Democrat,” it creates uncertainty and a headache for Senate Democrats who assumed the seat would be a safe bet for them heading into 2024.