Metro

Menendez tied with GOP challenger weeks before election

The race for a U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey is a statistical dead heat, with embattled Democrat Bob Menendez leading Republican challenger Bob Hugin by just 2 points, according to a poll released Monday.

Menendez grabbed 45 percent of the vote, compared to 43 percent for Hugin with the Nov. 6 election just five weeks away, Stockton University pollsters reported.

Libertarian Murray Sabrin pulled 3 percent, while about 8 percent of voters were undecided.

Any incumbent who can’t reach 50 percent is considered vulnerable.

A Quinnpiac University poll in August had Menendez up by 6 points.

The two-term incumbent was indicted on federal bribery charges, but the case ended in a hung jury last fall. He was accused of accepting bribes from Dr. Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist, in return for political favors.





Menendez maintained his innocence — but the stench of sleaze remains.

He was reprimanded by a Senate ethics panel after corruption charges were dismissed following a mistrial and is now viewed unfavorably by 54 percent of likely voters, while 30 percent have a favorable view and 6 percent are unsure.

Hugin is viewed favorably by 34 percent and unfavorably by 21 percent, although 43 percent are not familiar with him.

Only 10 percent are unfamiliar with Menendez.

Stockton interviewed 531 likely voters between Sept. 19-27 and the poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4.25 percent.

“With a two-point lead falling within the poll’s margin of error, the Senate race at this point is up for grabs,” said Stockton University pollster Michael Klein.

“Bob Hugin has been attacking Senator Menendez on ethics with a heavy advertising campaign. However, with so many voters still unfamiliar with the Republican, Menendez will likely try to define his challenger in negative terms,” he said.

Hugin is a retired pharmaceutical executive who headed Celgene Corp for nearly 20 years. He’s fighting off accusations that he jacked up the prices of cancer drugs.





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