Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) announced Tuesday that he plans to resign effective Aug. 20, creating a Senate vacancy in the wake of his federal bribery conviction.
New Jersey
Who could replace Sen. Bob Menendez of N.J. after his resignation?
![Who could replace Sen. Bob Menendez of N.J. after his resignation? Who could replace Sen. Bob Menendez of N.J. after his resignation?](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/F6NYNWANJ5Y6IT2XPOA6QRFFOI_size-normalized.jpg&w=1440)
At a news conference on Wednesday, the governor called Menendez’s resignation “a sad end to what was a very productive career in public service.”
Senate resignations stemming from ethical scandals are rare. Only a handful of other senators have left the chamber in the post-World War II era under clouds of misconduct, the most recent being Al Franken (D-Minn.) in 2017.
Now, Murphy must pick an appointee to fill the position until Jan. 3 — the end of Menendez’s Senate term. Here are some of the prospective candidates who have been floated to temporarily replace Menendez in the Senate.
Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.)
In June, Kim won the Senate Democratic primary for Menendez’s seat. If Kim wins in November, he will replace Menendez in the Senate for a full term beginning in 2025.
Kim, a former State Department official who joined the House in 2019, has indicated that he would accept the temporary appointment to the Senate if the governor asks. But the Republican candidate running against Kim in the Senate race, Curtis Bashaw, has urged Murphy to “appoint a caretaker to this seat, as is the long-standing New Jersey tradition, and not give either [Senate] candidate the advantage of incumbency in this election.”
Kim’s potential appointment is also complicated by the fact that he ran in the competitive Senate Democratic primary against the governor’s wife, Tammy Murphy.
Tammy Murphy, who dropped out of the Senate race before primary votes were cast, has also taken herself out of consideration for the temporary Senate appointment.
Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way
Way was appointed by Murphy to be the state’s lieutenant governor in 2023, one month after the death of then-Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver. She is also New Jersey’s secretary of state.
She previously was an administrative law judge for the state of New Jersey. Among her other local New Jersey government roles, in 2006 Way was elected to the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders — the state’s precursor to what are now referred to as county commissioners.
Patricia Campos-Medina
Campos-Medina is a labor activist who serves as executive director of the Worker Institute at Cornell University. She told Politico that she would be willing to serve if the governor asked.
As one of the Democratic candidates who ran in the Senate primary in New Jersey. she came in second in the race, after Kim, with 16 percent of the vote.
U.S. District Judge Esther Salas
Salas, who was appointed to her current role in 2011, was floated as a potential Senate contender last year. She’s a former Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey president and federal magistrate judge.
In 2020, Salas and her family were the target of an attack at their home by a self-declared men’s rights activist who had filed a case before Salas. Her son was killed and her husband was critically wounded in the attack. Following the incident, Salas called for tighter restrictions on the personal information of judges.
Nina Mitchell Wells
Wells was New Jersey’s secretary of state from 2006 to 2010 under then-Gov. Jon Corzine (D). She is married to Ted Wells, a prominent defense attorney who has mentored House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.)
Watson Coleman has been in Congress since 2015 and, before that, she served in the New Jersey General Assembly.
When asked about the prospect of the Senate appointment, Watson Coleman’s spokesperson, Mike Shanahan, told the New York Times that she “would gladly continue to serve New Jersey in whatever capacity is asked of her.” But Shanahan added that the congresswoman “doesn’t expect that call.”
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New Jersey
NJ cop recovering after being shot in leg while serving search warrant
![NJ cop recovering after being shot in leg while serving search warrant NJ cop recovering after being shot in leg while serving search warrant](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/8495daafab581468963ccfd8a41a5ca7488c0073/c=0-50-533-351/local/-/media/2017/06/18/Bergen/NorthJersey/636334153790091465-BreakingNews.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=1200)
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NorthJersey.com
A Perth Amboy police officer was injured during a shootout Wednesday while executing a search warrant with assistance from Rahway Police, according to Rahway Mayor Raymond Giacobbe and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
During the operation, suspects attempted to flee, resulting in one suspect firing a gun and hitting the unidentified officer in the leg. The injury is non-life-threatening, and the officer was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick for medical treatment.
No other officers reported injuries.
“One suspect sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. All suspects are in custody,” Giacobbe said. “As this situation is still under investigation, we will refrain from making any further comments at this time. My thoughts and prayers are with the injured officer. I extend my heartfelt wishes for a swift recovery and offer support to his family during this challenging time.”
The New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association expressed relief over the officer’s condition in a tweet: “We are counting our blessings this morning that our Perth Amboy Detective is going to recover. He was shot three times. His fellow officers took quick actions to prevent tragedy. Thank you to the doctors and nurses at RWJUH for their excellent care.”
Craig J. Coughlin, Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly, also praised the first responders in a tweet, saying, “We owe such a debt to those who put it on the line every day to keep us safe.”
Attorney General Matthew Platkin said all of New Jersey is praying for the officer’s recovery.
“Our officers deserve our gratitude for the enormous risks they take on a daily basis to keep our communities safe,” Platkin stated. “As the state’s chief law enforcement officer, I am resolute in my commitment to work with our law enforcement and community partners to end gun violence in our state, and to do everything in our power to prevent this kind of violence against law enforcement in the future. We must continue to work together to prevent and disrupt gun violence of every kind in New Jersey.
New Jersey
Officer shot while serving warrant in Rahway, New Jersey
![Officer shot while serving warrant in Rahway, New Jersey Officer shot while serving warrant in Rahway, New Jersey](https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/07/25/78c28a08-3411-46ef-b94d-fce2a4dfb054/thumbnail/1200x630/2521a7a69d2b630bef4b3c64739eff3b/5ef08f111bcd2814b3145abc597379bf.jpg?v=5501038cbc281520ff9fdc308faab7dc)
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New Jersey
Wife of Yankees executive Omar Minaya found dead in New Jersey home
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Sports Seriously
A investigation is underway for Rachel Minaya, wife of New York Yankees executive Omar Minaya, the Bergen (New Jersey) County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Monday.
In a release issued Monday, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said the Harrington Park Police Department responded Saturday afternoon to a 9-1-1 call reporting an unconscious and unresponsive adult female discovered in the bathroom of a private residence. Musella said police arrived at the home at about 3:32 p.m.
Upon arrival, first responders located the 55 year old and attempted to resuscitate her.
Minaya was transported via ambulance to Hackensack Meridian Health Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood.
She was pronounced dead at 4:26 p.m.
Was Omar Minaya home when his wife was found?
Omar Minaya was not home at the time of his wife’s death, according to the New York Post.
The circumstances involved do not appear suspicious, Musella said. However, a ruling on the cause and manner of death is pending.
Additional details are not available as the investigation continues, officials said.
The Minayas have two sons, Justin and Teddy.
Omar Minaya joined the Yankees at the start of 2023 as a senior adviser to general manager Brian Cashman. He previously served as the New York Mets’ general manager from 2004 to 2010 and as a special assistant to multiple GMs from 2017 to 2020.
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