Bob Menendez

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Bob Menendez

Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 18, 2006
Serving with Frank Lautenberg
Preceded by Jon Corzine
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 13th district
In office
January 5, 1993 – January 18, 2006
Preceded by Frank Guarini
Succeeded by Albio Sires
Born January 1, 1954 (1954-01-01) (age 55)
New York City, New York
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Jane Menendez (Divorced)
Children Alicia Menendez
Robert Menendez
Residence Hoboken, New Jersey
Alma mater Saint Peter's College
Occupation attorney
Religion Roman Catholic

Robert "Bob" Menendez (born January 1, 1954) is an American national political figure who has been serving, since January 18, 2006, as the junior United States Senator from New Jersey. A member of the Democratic Party, he was appointed by Jon Corzine to fill the remaining year in the Senate seat from which Corzine resigned upon being elected Governor of New Jersey in November 2005. Near the end of his one-year appointment, Menendez was elected In the midterm elections held November 7, 2006 to his own full term. Before becoming a member of the Senate, he represented New Jersey's 13th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1993 to January 16, 2006. A resident of Hoboken, he is the first person of Hispanic ethnicity to represent New Jersey in the U.S. Senate and, in the aftermath of 2008 elections, was appointed to head the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.[1]

Contents

[edit] Family

Bob Menendez was born on New Year's Day in New York City to Cuban immigrants[2] who left their homeland a few months earlier, in 1953, seeking economic and political freedom from the repressive government headed by Fulgencio Batista.[3] His father, Mario, was a mechanic and his mother, Evangelina, a seamstress.[4] The family subsequently moved to neighboring New Jersey where, growing up in Union City, he graduated from Union Hill High School.

After a B.A. from Saint Peter's College in Jersey City, he earned his Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers School of Law in Newark. where he was a member of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc.[5] He was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1980 and became a lawyer in private practice.

He married Jane Jacobsen, a teacher for the Union City Board of Education, and the couple had two children: Alicia, a graduate of Harvard University, and Robert, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Menendez and Jacobsen have since divorced.

During his free time, Robert Menendez helps out the future leaders of America. On the final day of the 2008 New Jersey American Legion Boys State, Robert Menendez was a prominent speaker.

[edit] Early political career

In 1973, at age 19, while attending Saint Peter's College in Jersey City, he launched a successful petition drive against his mentor, then-Union City Mayor William Musto, to reform the local school board. He was elected to the Union City Board of Education in 1974. He would stay close to Musto throughout the 1970s, however, and supported Musto in his re-election to the New Jersey Senate in 1978. Menendez would later testify against Musto in a court case that resulted in a prison sentence for Musto. The trial was very controversial, and Musto declared his innocence for the rest of his life.

Menendez was elected mayor of Union City in 1986 after an unsuccessful run against the popular Musto in 1982. Menendez served as mayor until 1992. While mayor, he simultaneously served in the New Jersey Legislature, a common practice for New Jersey politicians. He was in the General Assembly from 1987 until 1991 and in the New Jersey Senate from 1991 to 1993, following the death of Christopher Jackman.

[edit] United States House of Representatives

Menendez as a Congressman

In 1992, 14th District Congressman Frank Guarini retired after seven terms. Menendez won the Democratic nomination for the Jersey City-based district, which was renumbered the 13th after New Jersey lost a district in the 1990 Census, and was easily elected that November. The district was already heavily Democratic, but had been redrawn with a Hispanic majority after the 1990 census. He was reelected six times with no significant Republican opposition.

In 1996, Menendez was briefly a candidate in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat held by the retiring Bill Bradley, but he backed out and the seat was won by Democrat Robert Torricelli. In 2002 Menendez voted against the Iraq Resolution to authorize the invasion of Iraq.[6]

In 2003, Menendez was elected chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, ranking him third in the Democratic hierarchy in the house, behind House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. He was elected to chair the Credentials Committee of the 2004 Democratic National Convention and was a speaker on the first day of the convention. During the 107th Congress, he was chair of the Democratic Task Force on Education and the Democratic Task Force on Homeland Security.

Although he had sometimes been portrayed as the political boss of Hudson County, he strongly dislikes this appellation, particularly because, according to an anonymous close source quoted in the December 11, 2005 Union City Reporter, "there is no boss of Hudson County".[7] Menendez is also seen as one leader in a fractured political establishment tenuously united by agreements that permitted the county to generate a significant vote for Corzine in the 2005 gubernatorial race.[citation needed]

[edit] United States Senate

Congressman Robert Menendez spoke on the importance of small businesses in the U.S. economy in Texas.

While several other names had been mentioned, Menendez was the early favorite among pundits for Governor-elect Corzine's replacement to fill the vacancy that would be created when Corzine resigned from the Senate. Corzine's decision to appoint Menendez got the support of several Latino groups, including the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

Menendez is the first member of a minority to represent New Jersey in the Senate, and only the sixth Hispanic to serve in that body. He is on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Budget and Energy and Natural Resources committees.

In February 2006, Menendez cosponsored legislation with New York Senator Hillary Clinton to make it illegal for foreign governments to buy U.S. port operations. The legislation was a direct response to Dubai Ports World's efforts to purchase Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) of the United Kingdom, which operates six major U. S. ports. Menendez said, "Our ports are the front lines of the war on terrorism. They are both vulnerable targets for attack and venues for smuggling and human trafficking. We wouldn't turn the Border Patrol or the Customs Service over to a foreign government, and we can't afford to turn our ports over to one either."[8]

On September 28, 2006 Menendez voted for the Military Commissions Act.[9]

On June 12, 2007, Menendez endorsed Hillary Clinton's presidential bid and was given the position of National Campaign Co-Chair. Subsequently he made numerous media appearances voicing his support for her campaign.[10]

On April 25, 2008, a former undercover F.B.I. agent revealed in the book Ruse: Undercover with FBI Counterintelligence that Cuban diplomats approached Robert Eringer to investigate Menendez. It was suggested that the Cuban government was determined to generate scandalous information about the senator, along with Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Lincoln Diaz-Balart, because of their anti-Cuban lobbying efforts.[11]

[edit] Support for democracy in Cuba

Keeping in mind the search for political and economic liberty of his parents who, partly because of their disagreement with the authoritarian government of Fulgencio Batista, left Cuba five-and-a-half years before the January 1959 Castro takeover, Robert Menendez has spent his entire career as a vocal advocate of Cuban democracy as well as that of any other part of the world where it is lacking.

Having steadfastly supported Greek Cypriots in their decades-long diplomatic struggle against Turkey's occupation of the northern part of the island they share with Turkish Cypriots, he, nevertheless, sent a strongly-worded letter of protest to Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias, castigating him for his praise of Cuba's totalitarian system. Christofias, the leader of AKEL, Cyprus' Communist Party, since 1988 and president since 2008, paid a state visit to Cuba in September 2009 for the opening of Cyprus' new embassy and, in his speech, made a number of anti-American embargo references, and spoke of the "common struggle of Cyprus and Cuba". In his letter, dated October 29, Menendez pointed out to Christofias that "you cannot claim human rights violations by Turkey in your country and then ignore such violations in Cuba. Second, you cannot call for property rights for Greek Cypriots and then deny them on Cuba. Finally, you cannot take issue with the militarisation of northern Cyprus and then ignore the state security apparatus that oppresses the Cuban people.”[12]. In its November 26 editorial, "Christofias still hasn’t learned to watch his mouth", the island nation's English-language newspaper, Cyprus Mail opined that Christofias' "defiant communist rhetoric, supporting a totalitarian regime that still puts its opponents in prison, served no purpose whatsoever" and that "Senator Menendez’s letter will have served a useful purpose if it finally alerts the president to the need to use diplomatic language, at least when speaking abroad".

[edit] Senate committee assignments

[edit] 2006 allegations of Senate ethics violations

On August 27, 2006, two Republican state lawmakers filed an ethics complaint against Menendez, alleging he broke conflict-of-interest rules when he rented property out to a nonprofit agency that receives federal funds. Menendez helped the organization win designation as a federally qualified health center in 1998. That designation allowed the agency to receive additional federal grants.[13] Menendez allies note that the organization in question, the North Hudson Community Action Corp., which provides social services and health care to the poor and was founded in 1960, had received federal funding for years before Menendez was in Congress, and receives its funding based on mathematical formulas.[14] Menendez maintains that he rented the property out below market-value because "he was supportive of its work".[15] The total rent collected over nine years was over $300,000.

In September, 2006, just a few weeks before the 2006 senate elections, the US District Attorney began investigating the rental deal with NHCAC, subpoenaing records from them. Democrats criticized the investigation, particularly the timing of the investigation and news leaks as being politically motivated. To date, no charges have been brought and the accusations remain unsubstantiated.[16]

[edit] 2006 Senate election

Main article: United States Senate election in New Jersey, 2006

Menendez successfully ran to retain his seat in the Senate. In the general election in November 2006, he defeated Republican Thomas Kean, Jr., current minority whip in the New Jersey Senate and son of former state governor Thomas Kean.

The race had been considered one of the best hopes for a Republican to pick up a Democratic seat. With 99% of the precincts reporting, Menendez stood at 1,156,237 votes or 53% to Kean's 971,757 or 45%. However, Menendez's margin of victory, albeit comfortable, was the smallest for a Democratic incumbent in 2006, which may be related to the fact that Menendez had served less than one year in the Senate at the time of his reelection.

Menendez was endorsed by the following major newspapers covering New Jersey politics: The New York Times,[17] The Philadelphia Inquirer,[18] The Star-Ledger,[19] and The Record.[20]

[edit] Electoral history

[edit] House

New Jersey's 13th congressional district: 1992[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Bob Menendez 93,670 64%
Republican Fred J. Theemling, Jr. 44,529 31%
Stop Tax Increases Joseph D. Bonacci 2,363 2%
Libertarian Len Flynn 1,539 1%
Communist John E. Rummel 1,525 1%
Socialist Workers Jane Harris 1,406 1%
Majority 49,141 33%
New Jersey's 13th congressional district: 1994[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Bob Menendez 67,688 71% +7
Republican Fernando A. Alonso 24,071 25% -6
We the People Frank J. Rubino, Jr. 1,494 2% N/A
Politicians Are Crooks Herbert H. Shaw 1,319 1% N/A
Socialist Workers Steven Marshall 895 1% N/A
Majority 43,617 46% +13
New Jersey's 13th congressional district: 1996[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Bob Menendez 115,459 79% +8
Republican Carlos E. Munoz 24,427 17% -8
Independent Herbert H. Shaw 2,136 1% 0
Independent Mike Buoncristiano 2,094 1% N/A
Independent William P. Estrada 720 <1% N/A
Independent Rupert Ravens 637 <1% N/A
Majority 91,032 62% +16
New Jersey's 13th congressional district: 1998[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Bob Menendez 70,308 80% +1
Republican Theresa de Leon 14,615 17% 0
Independent Richard S. Hester, Sr. 1,276 1% N/A
Independent Richard G. Rivera 872 1% N/A
Independent Susan Anmuth 752 1% N/A
Majority 55,693 63% +1
New Jersey's 13th congressional district: 2000[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Bob Menendez 117,856 79% -1
Republican Theresa de Leon 27,849 19% +2
Independent Claudette C. Meliere 2,741 2% N/A
Independent Dick Hester 562 <1% N/A
Independent Herbert H. Shaw 357 <1% N/A
Majority 90,007 60% -3
New Jersey's 13th congressional district: 2002[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Bob Menendez 72,605 78% -1
Republican James Geron 16,852 18% -1
Green Pat Henry Faulkner 1,195 1% N/A
Anti-Corruption Doctor Esmat Zaklama 740 1% N/A
Pro Life Conservative Dick Hester 732 1% N/A
Politicians are Crooks Herbert H. Shaw 573 1% N/A
Majority 55,753 60% 0
New Jersey's 13th congressional district: 2004[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Bob Menendez 121,018 76% -2
Republican Richard W. Piatkowski 35,288 22% +4
Pro Life Conservative Dick Hester 1,282 1% N/A
Politicos son Corruptos Herbert H. Shaw 1,066 1% 0
Socialist Workers Angela L. Lariscy 887 1% 0
Majority 85,730 54% -6

Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1992, Donald K. Stoveken as an America First Populist received 682 votes. In 2000, Alina Lydia Fonteboa received 233 votes and Kari Sachs received 168 votes. In 2002, a candidate listed only as Independent (The American Party) received 34 votes; also, Herbert Shaw's full party name was "Politicians are Crooks - Politicos son Corruptos" (shortened for display purposes above).

[edit] Senate

2006 United States Senate election, Senate Class 1, New Jersey[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Bob Menendez (inc.) 1,200,843 53.3 +3.1
Republican Thomas Kean, Jr. 997,775 44.3 -2.8
Libertarian Len Flynn 14,637 0.7 +0.4
Marijuana Edward Forchion 11,593 0.5 n/a
Independent J.M. Carter 7,918 0.4 +0.2
Independent N. Leonard Smith 6,243 0.3 n/a
Independent Daryl Brooks 5,138 0.2 n/a
Socialist Workers Angela Lariscy 3,433 0.2 +0.1
Socialist Gregory Pason 2,490 0.1 +0.0
Majority 203,068 9.0
Turnout 2,250,070
Democratic hold Swing 3.26

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ CNN.com: New Jersey senator to lead Democratic campaign effort
  2. ^ freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com
  3. ^ Filling in the gaps in Menendez's biography The Star-Ledger July 30, 2006
  4. ^ "Robert Menendez, a Politician Even at 20" The New York Times, December 10, 2005
  5. ^ Biography of Senator Bob Menendez, accessed January 8, 2007
  6. ^ Roll Call 455 Office of the Clerk
  7. ^ Menendez on the move: Corzine appoints replacement in Senate, Union City Reporter, December 11, 2005
  8. ^ Menendez, Clinton seek to stop UAE port deal, The Record, February 18, 2006.
  9. ^ U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 109th Congress – 2nd Session United States Senate
  10. ^ Hillary Clinton For President - Press Release.
  11. ^ FBI agent says Cuba sought dirt on Menendez, The Record, April 25, 2008
  12. ^ Hazou, Elias. "US Senator calls Christofias’ Cuba remarks ‘disrespectful and insensitive’", Cyprus Mail, November 24, 2009]
  13. ^ Feds probe Menendez rental deal: Senator took in at least $300,000 from nonprofit in Union City, The Star-Ledger, September 8, 2006
  14. ^ GOP calls Menendez rent profits unethical, The Record, August 26, 2006
  15. ^ Agency was paying rent to its champion: Menendez denies Kean's charge that role of landlord poses conflict, The Star-Ledger, August 25, 2006
  16. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/16/nyregion/16christie.html
  17. ^ “New Jersey’s Senate Race,” The New York Times, October 30, 2006
  18. ^ “Robert Menendez for U.S. Senate,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 15, 2006
  19. ^ “Robert Menendez for U.S. Senate,” The Star-Ledger October 29, 2006
  20. ^ “Bland or blemished – Editorial,” The Record, October 29, 2006
  21. ^ a b c d e f g "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html. Retrieved 2007-08-08. 
  22. ^ Official List: Candidates for US Senate For November 2006 General Election, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Elections, dated December 4, 2006. Accessed September 26, 2007.

[edit] External links

Articles
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Jim Saxton		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 13th congressional district
1993 – 2006		 Succeeded by
Albio Sires
United States Senate
Preceded by
Jon Corzine		 United States Senator (Class 1) from New Jersey
2006 – present
Served alongside: Frank Lautenberg		 Incumbent
Party political offices
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Texas
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