Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District announced that he will challenge Sen. Bob Menendez in the Democratic primary for his Senate seat in 2024.
Menendez was slapped on Friday with corruption charges stemming from allegations that he accepted bribes in exchange for favors, prompting calls for his resignation, including from Governor Phil Murphy and five other high-profile New Jersey Democrats.
However, Menendez said in a statement released Friday night that he is “not going anywhere.”
“Those who believe in justice believe in innocence until proven guilty. I intend to continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same success I’ve had for the past five decades,” Menendez said.
“This is the same record of success these very same leaders have lauded all along. It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere,” he added.
Rep. Kim responded by launching a primary challenge to Menendez.
“After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said ‘I am not going anywhere.’ As a result, I feel compelled to run against him. Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity,” Kim wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The post linked to a campaign fundraiser which reads: I grew up in New Jersey and am proud to raise my family here. I believe more than ever that New Jersey needs hard working, trustworthy leaders focused on the common good and injecting some integrity and civility back into our politics. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity any longer.
Help me build a movement to restore faith in our democracy.