Stunning: Even Bob Menendez’s son won’t support him

⭕ Sen. Bob Menendez is refusing to resign amid corruption allegations

⭕ He has not said if he will seek reelection

⭕ Menendez's son expected to endorse Tammy Murphy for his father's seat

Already facing enormous pressure to resign amid corruption charges, Sen. Bob Menendez appears to have even lost the support of his son.

U.S. Rep. Robert J. Menendez, D-N.J. 8th District, was elected to Congress largely due to the power and influence his indicted father wielded among Hudson County Democrats for decades.

Now, there is a report in New Jersey Globe that the younger Menendez will endorse his father's chief rival in the battle for his U.S. Senate seat.

Rob Menendez is expected to endorse first lady Tammy Murphy.

It would be a stunning blow to Sen. Menendez, who has not indicated if he will seek re-election despite his legal troubles.

Last week, Rep. Menendez did get the full backing of the Hudson County Democratic Organization his father had commanded for years. County Executive-elect Craig Guy and the mayors of 10 municipalities quickly followed.

Two notable exceptions were Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who is running for governor, and Mayor Ravi Bhalla of Hoboken. Bhalla is considering a primary challenge for Menendez's congressional seat.

The report of Rob Menendez backing Tammy Murphy also comes a day after Fulop launched a scathing attack on the congressman. He posted on X (formerly Twitter), “I’m not on board with supporting Rob Menendez for another term in Congress. It’s time to move on.”

Fulop went even further in an interview with NJ Spotlight News, saying Rob Menendez should denounce his own father — or forfeit his seat.

Could this mean Sen. Menendez won't seek another term?

As with all things political in New Jersey, there is what you see and hear and there is what happens in the back rooms.

Menendez and his son are extremely close, and the elder has been both a mentor and booster to his son's political career.

Even in the face of extreme pressure from fellow Democrats to resign, Menendez has steadfastly refused and continued to profess his innocence.

Many insiders believed the only person he would listen to would be his son, and that Menendez might try and find a way to both bow out gracefully and preserve his son's political career.

This could be it.

It is possible that Rob Menendez knows his father will not seek re-election. By endorsing Tammy Murphy, he gets to distance himself from his father's corruption scandal while at the same time aligning with the front-runner for his father's seat.

If the congressman does endorse Murphy for senate, and she in turn endorses him for his congress, it could give Menendez the support he will need to win another term.

New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer, (D-5), has already endorsed Menendez in his congressional bid. Gottheimer declared Rep. Menendez has "worked his ass off for Jersey and his District" and "our state needs him back in Washington.

Of course, this is all still speculation at this point.

However, few things in New Jersey politics are random. Most are calculated gambits designed to form the types of alliances that keep the party in power.

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