Former News 12 Reporter Joins Race For Menendez's U.S. Senate Seat

NEW JERSEY — A new name just entered what is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched U.S. Senate races of 2024: Former News 12 New Jersey reporter Alex Zdan announced Friday he is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Bob Menendez.

Zdan will run as a Republican. Gov. Phil Murphy's wife Tammy Murphy is currently battling freshman South Jersey Congressman Andy Kim as the two highest-profile Democrats that want the seat.

Menendez, a Democrat facing serious federal corruption charges, has vowed he will not resign. He may even run for re-election this November; he has not said.

Zdan, 38, announced his candidacy from the U.S. southern border with Mexico.

“I’m not a typical politician. Boy, am I not,” Zdan said in this video he posted to X, as he walked along the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Arizona. “But I’ll fight like hell every day for you, your family, and our American future.”

In the video, migrants can be seen walking through a hole in the border wall.

"This has got to stop," said Zdan. "I spent a career as an investigative journalist and newscaster. I went to find the truth, and hold the powerful accountable ... even if some of them didn't like that very much."

His campaign video also shows him back in his reporter days with News 12, questioning Gov. Murphy, who looked irritated, and also asking Menendez about his federal corruption charges.

Zdan lost his job with News 12 in a surprise round of layoffs in October 2023, where eight News 12 NJ staffers lost their jobs, and 30 employees total in the tri-state area were laid off.

Zdan also referenced the fact that buses carrying migrants from the Mexico border came to New Jersey in late December, and they dropped migrants off at train stations in Secaucus, Edison, Trenton and elsewhere. An abandoned hospital in Hunterdon County has been floated as a processing location for migrants from the border.

"Now we know every state is a border state," continued Zdan. "As your senator, I'll fight to end drug trafficking and illegal migration, secure our borders and keep your communities safe."

He also promised "restore businesses devastated by Murphy's pandemic shutdowns and bring back jobs that reward how hard you're willing to work — not just what's written on a college degree."

"As a journalist, I always went where the story was. Now, I've gone to the border to see this crisis first-hand. We have to fix it. New Jersey: I will work hard to earn your vote. I'll be a senator for you."

Among the most shocking allegations against Menendez is that he and his wife accepted gold bars, $480,000 in cash and a Mercedes-Benz for wielding their political influence. Menendez says he is innocent. He was indicted in 2017 for previous unrelated corruption charges, but never convicted. New Jersey voters re-elected him then anyway, despite those corruption allegations.

According to Ballotpedia, here is the entire candidate list for the 2024 New Jersey U.S. Senate race:

• Democrat – Patricia Campos-Medina, Kevin Cupples, Lawrence Hamm, Andrew Kim, Patrick Merrill, Tammy Murphy
• Republican – Alex Zdan, Curtis Bashaw, Daniel Cruz (he has now dropped out), Michael Estrada, Albert Harshaw, Shirley Maia-Cusick, Gregg Mele, Justin Murphy, Christine Serrano-Glassner
• Third party/Independent – Christina Khalil (Green Party of NJ), Nick Carducci (Independent)

The primary is June 4. The general election will be in November.

Migrant Buses From U.S.-Mexico Border Dropped At 4 NJ Train Stations (Jan. 1, 2024)