As Rep. Sires Retires From NJ-8, Gov. Murphy Endorses 'Millennial' Menendez Jr.

NORTH JERSEY, NJ — On the heels of the recent announcement by 8th District Congressman Albio Sires that he won't run for re-election in 2022, both he and Gov. Phil Murphy have endorsed Robert Menendez Jr., the son of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, to succeed him. See the new redistricting map here.

Menendez, 36, works as an attorney at Lowenstein Sandler LLP, in the firm’s investment management group. He's also a volunteer commissioner for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

"Throughout his career, Congressman Albio Sires has served the people of New Jersey with honor and distinction," said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. "From his time as Mayor of West New York to his tenure as the first Hispanic Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly to his distinguished career in Congress, Albio never forgot the values that he learned as a young immigrant to this country."

He added, "As we continue to deal with the challenges of a global pandemic, the people of Hudson, Essex, and Union Counties will need a strong champion to build upon the work of Congressman Sires. That's why I'm honored to endorse Robert J. Menendez to serve as the next U.S. Representative of the newly-formed 8th Congressional District of New Jersey."

He said, "A distinguished attorney and Port Authority Commissioner, Robert is exactly the type of leader we need to fight for working and middle-class New Jersey families. Having grown up in Hudson County, he knows the families and communities he is seeking to represent."

A 'Millennial'

Murphy also referred to Menendez as a "millennial [who] represents a new generation of leadership whose voices need to be represented within our Congressional delegation."

Menendez Jr., in fact, has taken advantage of social media like a millennial, Tweeting several harsh criticisms of Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop earlier this year, including when Fulop raised salaries of certain city positions to nearly $200,000:

Meanwhile, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla told the media recently that he will not run for the spot.

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