N.J. SEN 2018: Who's the most electable Republican against Menendez?

[Suburbia]

I think that Sen. Bob Menendez may be one of the underrated vulnerable Senate Democratic incumbents in 2018. He's in a corruption situation right now. He has so-so approval ratings and some people in N.J. haven't seen much of him over the past 10 years. Who would be the most electable Republican against Menendez?

http://www.nj.com/crime/index.ssf/2016/10/feds_re-file_contested_charges.html

[Heisenberg]

Chris Christie and Scott Garrett are jokes, right?

[Suburbia]

Chris Christie and Scott Garrett are jokes, right?

Yea. Joe Kyrillos or Jennifer Beck would be good choices.

[Orser67]

If she could somehow win a Republican primary, I would say Christine Whitman.

[morgieb]

Out of those that would actually have a shot of doing it, probably Kean.

[Heisenberg]

If she could somehow win a Republican primary, I would say Christine Whitman.

Nope, she'd be another Tommy Thompson/Ted Strickland.

[publicunofficial]

Not Chris Christie, not Scott Garrett, not Steve Lonegan.

[Kingpoleon]

Probably Whitman or Kean. I don't know much about Joe Kyrillos. Is he a moderate Greek-American?

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

No one

[Suburbia]

Probably Whitman or Kean. I don't know much about Joe Kyrillos. Is he a moderate Greek-American?

Yes. He's from Monmouth County. He ran against Menendez in 2012 but lost with 39% of the vote. Hurricane Sandy hurt his campaign as well because the days during Sandy it was reported about Menendez's corruption stories back in the news again. If Kyrillos had ran a better campaign against Menendez, he could have made it closer. Some grassroots Republicans in N.J. feel that Lonegan should run for Senate again because in the 2013 special election against Booker he actually got 44% of the vote.

Kyrillos could beat Menendez in 2018. He could beat Bob Torricelli if Torricelli runs in '18 if Menendez resigns.

[Vosem]

Whitman is too old -- she'll be 72 at the time of the election. Still younger than Strickland, but that's a tad too old to be running to become a freshman Senator. Kean would be a much better choice.

[rpryor03]

I'll keep saying what I've been saying: the only electable candidate is Kean.

[rpryor03]

if Torricelli runs in '18

BWAHAHAHA

[Pandaguineapig]

Don Guardian but he's not listed

[Cynthia]

I chose Whitman until I saw Kean

[mds32]

I think Jeff Cheisa just because he was a Senator for a few months.

[Suburbia]

Lou Dobbs, Steve Forbes and Andrew Napolitano could run against Bob Menendez and could make it competitive.

Chiesa and Guadagno would probably be too tied to Christie's baggage.

[Suburbia]

A blast from the past could run as well in my opinion: Former Assemblyman Guy Gregg

http://web.archive.org/web/20040617125450/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us:80/members/gregg.asp

He'd be a dark horse conservative candidate.


However, Joe Plumeri could raise $$$$$, and could give Menendez a run. He almost considered running in the 2013-2014 Senate elections.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/06/wealthy_businessman_with_deep.html

[Anna Komnene]

Maybe some random football player or other celebrity.

[BuckeyeNut]

Don Guardian but he's not listed.

I'd agree with this, but he has to win re-election this year.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

Likely D. And if it was almost anyone but Menendez, Safe D.

[LabourJersey]

None of these candidates are going to win in 2018.

If Menendez is in fact convicted, the state Dems will quickly run a replacement candidate who will win in a walk. Even Menendez will limp to victory if he's ruled to be innocent.

[rpryor03]

Maybe some random football player or other celebrity.

[MT Treasurer]

Even if 2018 is a massive Republican wave, Menendez will still win by double digits. Republicans can't win federal races in NJ, I'm not sure why some people are having trouble understanding this. Not to mention that NJ voters couldn't care less about corruption.

[MarkD]

Even if 2018 is a massive Republican wave, Menendez will still win by double digits. Republicans can't win federal races in NJ, I'm not sure why some people are having trouble understanding this. Not to mention that NJ voters couldn't care less about corruption.

Then how do you explain why Bob Torricelli dropped out of his re-election race in 2002? He clearly withdrew from the race because of the accusations from the Senate Ethics Committee, which lead to low polling numbers and an expectation that he COULD lose to Doug Forrester.