Democrat Bob Menendez wins New Jersey Senate race

(Image credit: KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images)

published 7 November 2018

Sen. Bob Menendez (D) will keep his seat, defeating Republican Bob Hugin in the New Jersey Senate race, ABC News and NBC News project.

Menendez has been in the Senate since 2006. Political newcomer Hugin retired in 2017 as CEO of the pharmaceutical company Celgene Corp. They weren't the only candidates on the ballot — six third-party and independent candidates were also running.

It was a tough battle, with Menendez and Hugin both running negative ads. Menendez was indicted on federal corruption charges, with a mistrial declared last November and the Department of Justice dropping all charges earlier this year. Hugin ran ads about the charges and brought them up during speeches, while Menendez attacked Hugin over his tenure at Celgene, calling him a "greedy" CEO who "preyed on the must vulnerable."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.