Representative Rob Menendez of New Jersey on Tuesday staved off a tough Democratic primary challenge from Ravi Bhalla, the mayor of Hoboken, N.J.
The race in House District 8, which includes parts of Newark and Jersey City, was more competitive than expected because of the legal troubles facing Mr. Menendez’s father, the state’s senior U.S. senator, who is on trial in Manhattan on federal bribery, corruption and obstruction charges.
Representative Menendez, a first-term congressman, has not been accused of wrongdoing and has not been implicated in the legal case against his father. He characterized those seeking to oust him as opportunists who regard him as vulnerable because of his father’s legal trouble.
Though most of the state’s Democratic leaders have abandoned his father, Mr. Menendez collected endorsements from political leaders, organized labor and civic groups and had considerably more campaign cash than his opponents.
Still, even some of the congressman’s allies said in interviews in recent days that they were worried. A former private equity lawyer, Mr. Menendez had only a slim record to fall back on. He had never held elected office before his father helped clear the field for him two years ago. And he has remained loyal, saying last fall that he has “unwavering confidence” in his father’s “integrity and his values.”
Senator Robert Menendez did not compete in the Democratic primary for his own seat. But on Monday, he filed paperwork allowing him to appear on the general election ballot as an independent. If he does run, it will place his son in the potentially awkward position of appearing on the same ballot as his father.
In addition to Mr. Bhalla, Mr. Menendez was running against Kyle Jasey, 41, of Jersey City, who runs a real-estate finance company, in the Democratic primary.
He will face Republican Anthony Valdes, 43, of West New York, a building inspector, in the general election in November.
