Campaigning to energize the Republican voter base in the struggling blue state of New Jersey, Senate candidate Bob Hugin ripped Sen. Bob Menendez as "a moral failure" Sunday.
"The overriding issue on top of the affordability [of New Jersey] is that the people just feel they've been embarrassed [by] a guy who has not only just violated federal law, abused the power of his office, disgraced the Senate," Hugin told "The Cats Roundtable" on 970 AM-N.Y.
"And that was said by the Senate ethics committee, bipartisanly, Democrats and Republicans, that he has just really failed after 25 years in Washington and embarrassed us."
Hugin, who trails in the race but polls higher in favorability in the latest Emerson College poll, is campaigning against the out-migration of the high-tax, high-spending blue state of New Jersey which has made the state "unaffordable."
"The bottom line is simple: the state has become so unaffordable, it's tearing families apart," Hugin told host John Catsimatidis, pinning blame on Sen. Menendez. "And he's embarrassed us. It's a disgrace. A moral failure. It's time for change. And that's what is resonating with the people of New Jersey."
Hugin pointed to the state leading the country in the out-migration of millennials, causing a shrinking labor force amid the high taxes and inability to capitalize on the national economic growth in the U.S.
"The labor force in New Jersey is between 30,000 and 40,000 workers less then it was a year ago," Hugin said. "That's how bad it is in New Jersey. People are leaving New Jersey because they're finding better opportunities elsewhere. And they can keep more of their money when they make it by other states having lower property taxes, lower income taxes."
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