Hoboken Mayor Bhalla May Face Robert Menendez Jr. For Congress

HOBOKEN, NJ — As Rep. Bob Menendez Sr. grapples with his recent federal indictment on bribery charges, his son may face a Democratic primary challenge from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla when it's time for his re-election bid next year, Bhalla's campaign spokesperson confirmed.

A story first published in the New Jersey Globe on Monday said that Bhalla had been speaking with various Democratic leaders to gauge interest.

Bhalla's political spokesman, Rob Horowitz, confirmed for Patch on Monday that Bhalla is considering a run.

Bhalla would have to step down as mayor if he won the 8th District seat in November 2024.

Horowtiz told Patch, "Mayor Bhalla is focused on delivering for the residents of Hoboken. He is also seriously considering running for Congress. If he decides to run, he will be a formidable candidate with the capacity to raise the necessary amount of money to get his message across to 8th district Democratic primary voters.”

He did not respond to a question of why Bhalla would become interested in the spot now. Menendez Jr. is not part of the indictment.

Menendez Responds

Menendez Jr. responded with a statement, saying, "I am focused on working every single day to represent my neighbors to the best of my ability. And I will be running for re-election based on that record so I can continue to serve the residents of this district that I love, in stark contrast to those who may run to further their own naked political ambition."

Besides serving as mayor of mile-square Hoboken, Bhalla also earns $60,000 per year at a law firm.

Bhalla was elected to his second term in office in 2021, fresh from shepherding his city through the COVID crisis. He ran unopposed, but nevertheless raised a substantial amount of money.

Menendez Jr., a lawyer and Jersey City resident, was first elected to the House of Representatives last year.

His father has so far said he will not step down, and that he is innocent of the federal charges. Read more about that here.

Read more of the story in the Globe here.