Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), who is refusing to resign after being indicted on bribery charges, faces an uphill battle for another term should he persist in seeking one, according to a new poll commissioned by Data for Progress.
In a race pitting Menendez against his two announced challengers ― Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and real estate investor Kyle Jasey ― 48% of surveyed Garden State Democrats would pick Kim, 9% would vote to reelect Menendez and 3% would choose Jasey, a first-time candidate, according to the poll obtained first by HuffPost. The survey of 551 likely Democratic primary voters conducted online and via SMS from last Friday to Tuesday also found that 40% of the voters are unsure who they’d vote for.
In a more crowded race, Menendez would receive an even smaller share of the vote, but Kim might be less of an indisputable front-runner, according to the poll. Asked to choose from a field of possible candidates that includes Menendez; Kim; Jasey; New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy; New Jersey state Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz; and Reps. Mikie Sherrill, Josh Gottheimer and Frank Pallone, Kim would get 27%, Sherrill would get 20%, Menendez, Pallone and Gottheimer would each get 6%, Murphy would get 4%, and Ruiz and Jasey each would get 1%. Twenty-nine percent of respondents are unsure who they would pick.
The poll also found that 95% of respondents had heard about the federal charges against Menendez, and 78% think he should resign.
Menendez and his wife are accused of accepting cash, checks, gold and a Mercedes-Benz in exchange for helping Egypt obtain blocked military aid. They also are accused of helping three New Jersey businessmen in their dealings in Egypt and to evade charges. The Menendezes were indicted Sept. 22 in New York City and have pleaded not guilty.
Data for Progress, a liberal think tank, is not advising any candidate or prospective candidate in the race.
For more on the breakdown of the poll results, here are detailed tables.
Both Sherrill and Gottheimer have ruled out a Senate run. Gottheimer’s allies have made it clear that he plans to run for governor in 2025; Sherrill is also rumored to be vying for the post.
Murphy, who has become active in maternal and infant health policy during her husband’s governorship, is considering a Senate run. And given the rarity of an open statewide post in blue-hued New Jersey, other Democrats are expected to jump into the contest as well.
Kim, who flipped a Republican-held seat in South Jersey in 2018, has captured the early momentum in the race. He has already secured the endorsements of End Citizens United and VoteVets, two influential Democratic groups with independent arms that enable them to spend unlimited sums in elections.
The Democratic Senate primary in New Jersey, which is open only to registered Democrats, is scheduled for June 4.