Sen. Robert Menendez — fighting corruption indictments for the second time in his political career — said he’s “hopeful” about running for a fourth term. But not with the Democratic nomination behind him.
In a nine-minute video posted to YouTube Thursday, Menendez said he’s aiming for a summer exoneration that would “allow me to pursue my candidacy as an independent Democrat in the general election.”
Menendez would have needed to submit petitions by Monday to run in the Democratic primary, where Rep. Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy are frontrunner candidates. He didn’t participate in any of the conventions that Democratic political machines use to decide who’ll get preferred placement on primary ballots — a tool party organizations and political bosses have used for a century to tip the scales in favor of their endorsed candidates.
Campaigning after the Democratic primary, he said in the video, “would allow me the time to not only remind New Jerseyans of how I’ve succeeded in being your champion, but how we will secure our financial futures, meet the challenges of raising a family, owning a home, provide for a college education, and secure a more peaceful world for all of us to live in.”
Menendez lost any practical chance of getting party endorsements or winning the Democratic nomination when the state’s most powerful political leaders — including Gov. Phil Murphy — called for him to step down days after his indictment in September.
Menendez has maintained his innocence since his September indictment. But until now, he refused to say whether he’d seek reelection, even as Tammy Murphy and Kim far surpassed him in polling and fundraising, becoming clear frontrunners in a race to replace him.
Earlier this month, Joseph Uribe — one of three businessmen accused of bribing Menendez and his wife with lavish gifts — pleaded guilty to federal charges and agreed to cooperate with the investigation against the senator.
Prosecutors alleged in…
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