Dem Sen. Menendez faces unexpected danger in deep-blue New Jersey

A GOP upset in New Jersey – where a Republican was last elected in 1972 – would not only shock observers but likely cripple Democratic hopes of retaking the Senate.

Republican Bob Hugin is hoping to upset Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez in New Jersey's Senate race. (Getty)

Menendez went on trial in federal court last year, accused of illegally accepting gifts from a wealthy donor. A mistrial was declared after the jury failed to reach a verdict, but later, the Senate Ethics Committee “severely admonished” Menendez.

“This guy is an amazing textbook picture of corruption,” Hugin said in a phone interview with Fox News this week, arguing Menendez has “embarrassed the state in so many different ways.”

Deep-blue New Jersey hosts a similarly uphill climb for Republicans. No polls have shown Hugin in the lead. Fox News Power Rankings ranks the race “likely Democrat.”

A GOP upset in New Jersey – where a Republican was last elected in 1972 – would not only shock observers but likely cripple Democratic hopes of retaking the Senate.

For the New Jersey senator, the race represents the latest in a series of dramatic fights for his political life.

Had he been convicted last November, Menendez could have faced expulsion from the Senate. Having survived the trial, Menendez famously suggested he was out for vengeance.

Hugin, a retired Marine and biopharmaceutical company executive, has spent $15.5 million through June of his own money to draw attention to Menendez’s corruption trial. In an interview, Hugin said Menendez “abused the power of his office” and “disgraced the Senate.”

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-sen-menendez-faces-unexpected-danger-in-deep-blue-new-jersey