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Cook Report: NJ Senate Race Is Toss Up

U.S. Senate candidate Bob Hugin, Kathy Hugin and Monmouth Freeholder candidates Sue Kiley and Gerry Scharfenberger in Red Bank this week

New Jersey could elect a Republican to the United State Senate on November 6 for the first time since Diff’rent Strokes debuted on NBC-TV.

The Cook Political Report this morning moved its rating of the campaign between Senator Bob Menendez and GOP nominee Bob Hugin from “Lean Democrat” to “Toss Up.”

There is an addition to the Toss Up column as the race in New Jersey moves there from the Lean Democratic column. The contest isn’t about anything else but Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and his ethics problems. His opponent, pharmaceutical CEO Bob Hugin, has outspent the incumbent, $27.7 million to $11.8 million, according to the pre-election FEC report, and most of Hugin’s money has funded television ads. The Senate Majority PAC, the Democrats’ Senate super PAC, has now invested nearly $6.5 million in the race, including a $3 million advertising buy this week. This investment levels the playing field somewhat, but Hugin still holds a very definitive advantage on television.

The biggest threat to Menendez’s re-election is not so much Hugin than it is the voter who goes to the polls and decides to send Menendez a message, much the way many did in the primary when 38 percent voted for his unknown primary opponent. There is certainly a thumb on the scale for Menendez, who is said to have a lead of between four and six points, in this very blue state, but the race is close enough to warrant a move to Toss Up.

The momentum is clearly with Hugin who is collecting endorsements from both Republicans and Democrats in Blue Jersey.

 

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Posted: October 26th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: 2018 Elections, Monmouth County News, New Jersey | Tags: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

3 Comments on “Cook Report: NJ Senate Race Is Toss Up”

  1. Need a said at 1:41 pm on October 27th, 2018:

    big GOTV and as many vote by mails as we can get- just in case of some dead Hudson folks and other possible questionable votes being stuffed in, by the other side. Oh yes, this would be a race this could happen in! And, with the wait time to count, that will apparently happen this year, hoping for tight ballot security, all around this state..

  2. Arnie P said at 9:09 pm on October 28th, 2018:

    What Democrats have endorsed Hugin? Just curious, haven’t seen anything thus far.

  3. I think said at 1:36 am on October 30th, 2018:

    the only Dems endorsing Hugin are the paid actors in those round the clock commercials we can’t escape from.