Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., will file to run for reelection as an independent, it was reported Monday.
Menendez, currently on trial in New York City and facing federal bribery charges, will file nominating petitions in Trenton, New Jersey, the New Jersey Globe reported.
The outlet added Menendez will have a friend deliver the documents to the state Division of Elections on Monday to beat Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline.
The senator, seeking a fourth term, announced in late-March that he would not run for reelection this fall as a Democrat.
NBC News reported last week that Menendez had accumulated the requisite number of signatures to gain ballot access for November's general election.
Running as an independent allows Menendez to keep fundraising in an effort to cover his legal bills, which have hit $2 million, according to NBC News.
Menendez, 70, pleaded not guilty to charges he used his influence to aid three businessmen, including by giving favors to the governments of Qatar and Egypt, in exchange for cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible.
The trial is expected to last at least another four weeks. Announcing for reelection at this point preserves the option to make a final decision after Menendez knows the verdict. Independent candidates have until Aug. 16 to withdraw.
The Globe reported Menendez has no campaign staff and is managing his own race.
The senator's son Rep. Robert Menendez Jr. is running in a competitive primary Tuesday for his reelection bid in the 8th Congressional District.
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., is considered the favorite to win the Democratic Party nomination for the Senate race, NJ.com reported.
Curtis Bashaw, a hotelier and developer from Cape May, New Jersey, and Christine Serrano Glassner, the mayor of Mendham Borough, are the leading GOP candidates in Tuesday's primary.
No Republican has won a U.S. Senate race in New Jersey since 1972.
Menendez's appearance on the November ballot could put the New Jersey U.S. Senate seat in play.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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