Embattled Menendez Withdraws Senate Bid

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who was criminally convicted last month, has officially withdrawn his independent bid for Senate, according to The Hill.

Menendez sent a letter to the head of the New Jersey Division of Elections asking to be removed from the ballot. Originally running for the Democratic nomination, Menendez changed course after his legal troubles and mounted a dark-horse independent run.

He dropped that bid. In his absence, the general election will pit Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., against Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw.

Last fall, Menendez was charged with accepting bribes in exchange for favors and acting as a foreign agent — charges he denied despite calls from inside is own party to resign. He was ultimately found guilty on all 16 charges, but vowed to appeal.

“Bob Menendez’s corruption has been a distraction in New Jersey government and politics for years. It’s time to move on with this election and make it a clean, straight-forward race focusing on the issues facing our state,” Bashaw said in a statement.

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