Ravi Bhalla Runs Fierce Campaign But Is Defeated By Menendez

India-West News Desk

HOBOKEN, NJ – Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla has been defeated by Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City) in the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 8th congressional district, following an intense and costly campaign.

Bhalla, who made history as one of the first Sikh mayors in the US, ran on a platform of reform, criticizing Menendez for his family connections and the recent federal corruption charges against his father, Senator Bob Menendez. Bhalla argued that New Jersey needed to move beyond the Menendez family’s influence in politics.

Despite Bhalla’s strong showing in the Jersey City and Hoboken areas, Menendez secured a decisive lead in Newark, Elizabeth, and other towns within the district, the New Jersey Monitor said. Menendez, 38, first won his congressional seat in 2022, capitalizing on his position as a Port Authority commissioner and his father’s political network. However, the bribery charges against Senator Bob Menendez last fall turned those connections into a significant vulnerability for his son’s campaign.

Financially, the race was highly competitive, with Bhalla spending $1.6 million and Menendez $1.3 million by mid-May. Additionally, independent expenditure groups injected at least $1.8 million into the district, predominantly supporting Menendez and opposing Bhalla. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s BOLD PAC was a major contributor, aiming to ensure the continuation of Hispanic representation in New Jersey’s congressional delegation.