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New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez filed to run for reelection as an independent on Monday, a move that could be costly for Democrats trying to hold on to what has been a safe Senate seat.

Menendez, who is on trial in New York on corruption charges, could play the role of spoiler if a significant chunk of voters stick with him. Although Democrats are still favored to hold on to the New Jersey Senate seat, a Menendez candidacy could force the party to spend more money there when the party already is on defense nationally.

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New Jersey Republicans and Democrats hold their primaries on Tuesday but Menendez isn’t on the ballot. Democratic Representative Andy Kim is widely expected to succeed Menendez.

The senator’s filing appeared on the New Jersey Department of State’s website on Monday. His party is listed as “Menendez for Senate.”

Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, who’s running the Senate Democrats’ campaign operation, dismissed the notion that Menendez’ decision could hurt the party’s candidate, saying “the Democrat is going to win.” But his Republican counterpart, Steve Daines of Montana, smiled and quipped: “Keep your eye on New Jersey.”

Senator Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, called his colleague “a tremendous senator for the state of New Jersey when it comes to delivering results” and a good partner, but said the focus now should be on the trial, not November. “He deserves a fair trial, where he gets to be judged by a jury of his peers,” Booker said.

Menendez, 70, has pleaded not guilty, and his defense has blamed his wife, Nadine, for withholding information from him about gold bars and other items federal prosecutors say were bribes to the senator for assorted official acts.

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Menendez, who was first elected in 2005, stepped down as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee after his indictment but continues to vote and attend classified briefings and committee hearings in the Senate. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has criticized Menendez’ conduct, saying it fell far below the standard of a U.S. senator, but has refused to address whether Menendez should face expulsion, be denied access to briefings or otherwise punished.

New Jersey proposed Monday removing the bald eagle from its endangered species list, citing a rebound since more than four decades ago, when a single nesting pair in a remote county was the only of its kind in the state.

The turnaround stems from the work of volunteers and state professionals who nurtured hatchlings, guarded nests and educated the public, state environmental Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said in a statement. The proposed rule to delist the bald eagle as endangered includes the osprey, which was considered threatened, as well.

The proposal means the bald eagle, a national symbol of the United States, and the osprey have recovered to the point where the survival of those species is no longer in jeopardy, according to the department.

“The de-listing of eagles and ospreys is a milestone in the history of wildlife conservation in New Jersey,” LaTourette said.

The federal government removed the bald eagle from its list of endangered species in 2007. New Jersey kept the bird on its state list because of disturbances to nests and habitat threats.

The use of the insecticide DDT, as well as habitat destruction, played a significant role in the birds’ decline. The chemical had “lasting impacts on the food chain” because it was ingested by the fish the eagles and ospreys ate, making the shells of eggs too thin. It was banned for general use in 1972.

As of 2023, there were 267 nesting pairs of bald eagles in every county in New Jersey. That was up from a single pair in southern Cumberland County in the early 1980s, according to the department.

New Jersey began trying to reverse the decline in the early 1980s by bringing in eagles from Canada, along with artificial incubation and fostering efforts, the department said.

Osprey, sometimes called fish hawks, are typically found along shorelines. They, too, were greatly affected by DDT, with the number of osprey nests falling to about 50 five decades ago. In 2023, the state documented a record 800 occupied osprey nests.

The proposed rule is open for public comment until Aug. 2.

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