Menendez support among Democrats falls in New Jersey poll

Editor’s note: Reports of an investigation into Menendez surfaced in October of 2022. A previous version of this story contained incorrect information.

Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-N.J.) support among New Jersey Democrats took a hit over the past year, according to a poll published Thursday.

In the latest Monmouth University poll, Menendez, who is up for reelection in 2024, had the approval of 58 percent of New Jersey Democrats, with 23 percent disapproving, and 19 percent saying they don’t know. That’s down from April 2022, when New Jersey Democrats’ approval of Menendez was at 66 percent, with at 16 percent disapproving, and 17 percent said they didn’t know.

His overall approval rating in New Jersey dropped, too, with 36 percent of registered New Jersey voters surveyed approving, 45 percent disapproving and 19 percent saying they don’t know. 

In April 2022, his approval rating among registered voters in New Jersey was 44 percent, his disapproval rating was at 39 percent, and 17 percent said they didn’t know. 

Monmouth University Polling Institute Director Patrick Murray attributed the change in part to the fact that Menendez is again the subject of a federal probe, the news of which surfaced in October, followed by more details in May.

According to the poll, 57 percent of New Jersey residents have heard about the investigation, and majorities of both parties think it has at least some impact on his ability to serve the state.

“Public opinion of Sen. Menendez has ranged from positive to evenly divided to negative at different points over the past eight years. The current poll results suggest news of a new federal probe is having an impact on that opinion, perhaps even more so than the last time he faced similar scrutiny,” Murray said in a press release. 

In a survey conducted in January 2023 — roughly midway between the two benchmark polls — Menendez’s approval rating had already declined among New Jersey Democrats, from 66 percent in April 2022 to 59 percent in January 2023.

Similarly, Menendez’s approval rating among registered voters in New Jersey dropped 6 points, from 44 percent in April 2022 to 38 percent in January 2023.

His disapproval rating, meanwhile, remained similar between April 2022 and in January 2023 among both Democrats and registered voters.

Then, between, January 2023 to August 2023, his disapproval ratings among both groups increased: New Jersey Democrats’ disapproval of Menendez increased by 8 points, from 15 to 23 percent, in August 2023, and New Jersey registered voters’ disapproval of Menendez increased by 7 points, from 38 to 45 percent in August 2023.

An adviser to Menendez said touted the work the New Jersey Democrat was doing ahead of the election.

“The Senator remains consistently strong among Democratic primary voters across the state in both polls and throughout his one-on-one interactions with residents,” Michael Soliman said. “Senator Menendez just finished a tour around the state meeting with a diverse group of constituents and stakeholders from specialty crop farmers to law enforcement to small business owners to veterans, and throughout his travels heard over and over again how grateful they are to have a fighter like the senator in Washington working to lower costs for working families and keep New Jersey thriving. The numbers that matter are what voters say at the ballot box in November 2024.”

The survey was conducted by telephone Aug. 10-14 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 5.4 percentage points. 

Updated at 4:56 p.m.