Another Democrat has endorsed Republican nominee Bob Hugin in his race against incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who skated on public corruption charges earlier this year.
Teddy Price, a Democrat freeholder candidate and president of the Toms River Democrats, became the second prominent Democrat in the state to endorse Hugin, his campaign said in a statement released on Wednesday.
“This year’s election isn’t about Democrats or Republicans, it’s about the people of New Jersey,” Price said in the statement.
“Unlike Senator Bob Menendez, who has disgraced the office and our state, Bob Hugin is a man of service, honor, and integrity who will put the people of New Jersey first. He has a proven track record of creating jobs and bringing people together from different backgrounds to find innovative solutions to complex problems,” he added.
Hugin expressed appreciation for Price’s endorsement.
“The continued support I am receiving from Democrats like Teddy Price is humbling and a clear sign that the people of New Jersey know this election is so much bigger than typical party politics,” Hugin said in the statement.
“After suffering under Bob Menendez’s 25 years of corrupt, ineffective leadership, the people of New Jersey know that they deserve better and it’s time for change. They want an action-oriented, results-driven Senator who will put people above politics and that’s the kind of Senator I will be from day one,” the Marine Corps veteran and former pharmaceutical executive added.
Last week, Brick Township council member James Fozman endorsed Hugin, as Breitbart News reported.
New Jersey has not elected a Republican to the United States Senate in more than four decades.
Recent polls, however, show that the race between Hugin and Menendez has narrowed, and with just two months until election day, Hugin is within striking distance
Menendez’s 21 point lead in a Monmouth University Poll conducted in April has dwindled to just a six point lead in a Quinnipiac Poll conducted in August.
The Hugin campaign notes that “[r]ecent polls show Bob Hugin’s campaign against the incumbent Democrat is essentially a dead heat with Independents–the state’s largest voting bloc–supporting Hugin over Menendez 37 to 33.”