Rep. Rob Menendez (D‑NJ) Tuesday fended off a primary challenge from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, setting the stage for a second term despite his father’s criminal indictment looming over the family.
Menendez won the primary for New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District after garnering 53.5% of the vote with 42% of the vote counted. The Associated Press called the race at 9:19 p.m., just over an hour after polls closed.
Menendez faced two Democratic challengers for the nomination: Bhalla, who secured 36.2% of the vote, and Kyle Jasey, who came in third with 10.3%. Menendez’s victory makes him the favorite to win the seat in November as New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District is rated as D+22.
Menendez’s primary challenge came after …