2018 NJ Senatorial Election

The 2018 NJ Senate election, A Contest between Incumbent Senator Bob Menendez and Former Pharma Executive Bob Hugin resulted in the incumbent being reelected in a embarrasing margin in the 2018 Blue wave due to his indictment & then mistrial on bribary charges.

Regarding the Primary, Menendez infamously heavilly underperformed - winning only 60-40% despite the fact the only other candidate was against a perennial Candidate Lisa McCormick (Link). By Contrast, Hugin won the election functionally uncontested in a 75-25% Rout.

Despite the massive Spending by Bob Hugin (he Spent $42.6 million + $9.2 Million in independent expenditures To Menendez's 10 Million +$16.6 million in I.E.) The Race was sleepy for most of the summer and fall.

However a slew of Bad Polling in the fall compelled Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and the DCCC to spend for Menendez while the Senate Democrats tried to defend 10 States won by the then President Donald Trump in 2016.

In the end, Menendez's ads that emphasized the election as one between a politician and Greedy Big Pharma Exec (Gulay's Story) with the existing backdrop of the GOP's failed repeal of Obama Care, Donald Trump's unpopularity in NJ was the decisive factor that allowed Menendez to win in 2018.

In his 2018 win, Menendez won 6/12 Congressional Districts to Hugin's 6/12, 11/21 Counties to Hugin's 10/21 Counties, and 26/40 State legislative District's to Hugin's `4/40

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