New Jersey United States Senate election, 2006
Encyclopedia
The 2006 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democrat
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez will represent New Jersey
in the United States Senate
for a six-year term ending January 2013. The seat was previously held by Democratic
Governor of New Jersey
Jon Corzine
. After he stepped down from his Senate seat and was sworn in Governor, Corzine appointed Rep. Menendez, who was sworn in on January 18, 2006. Menendez was challenged by Republican Thomas Kean, Jr. and seven other candidates. Filing for the primary closed on April 10, 2006. The primary election was held on June 6, 2006. Menendez became the first Hispanic
to hold a U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey, and was the first Latino elected to statewide office in the state.
Thomas Kean
. Important factors in Kean's primary victory were his father's name recognition, along with Kean's self-described persona as a clean-cut corruption fighter.
A showdown between Bergen County
Republican Organization (BCRO) conservatives and a group of insurgent moderate Republican critics ignited into a shoving match between supporters, with Kean temporarily refusing to accept the BCRO's endorsement of his candidacy, and refusing to run with the BCRO slate of nominees for the offices of County Executive
, Surrogate, and Freeholder. As a result, Ginty was drafted by Bergen County conservatives to fill out the conservative slate of candidates in Bergen County for the Republican primary. Kean eventually accepted the BCRO endorsement.
Ginty's entrance into the primary complicated matters for Kean, who had to consider moving to the right to secure the Republican nomination, something that would likely hamper his chances of defeating Menendez in November. Kean's supporters have argued there is virtually no chance for a pro-life
, anti-gay marriage Republican to win a statewide election in New Jersey, where 66% of the voters are self-identified as pro-choice
and polls illustrate a distinct majority support gay marriage.
On March 20, 2006, Kean arrived late to a fundraising event for his campaign, after featured guest Vice President Dick Cheney
had left, which some accused of him doing deliberately to avoid photographs of the two, together, that could be printed in the media.
On March 27, 2006, at a news conference billed as a "major announcement", Kean called for state and federal tax cuts, asking Menendez and Governor of New Jersey
Jon Corzine
to support them. In response, Matthew Miller, a spokesman for Menendez, said the U.S. senator supports "balanced tax cuts," not just ones that benefit the wealthiest Americans while expanding national debt.
On April 1, 2006, at the Middlesex County
Republican Convention, Kean won the endorsement for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate (in other words, Kean was chosen as the county organization's recommended candidate for the June primary) over Ginty by a vote of 79% to 21%. However, the deadline for local Republicans to register to attend the convention had passed before Ginty announced his candidacy.
The New Jersey Right To Life Political Action Committee endorsed Ginty on April 27, 2006.
On May 2, 2006, Ginty publicly called on Kean to stop soliciting the endorsement of the Sierra Club
. Ginty said Kean should not seek their endorsement because the Sierra Club is an "environmental extremist group with a deep history of involvement in left-wing causes".
In early May, Ginty announced that he favors oil exploration in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
(ANWR), something that Kean and Menendez both opposed.
Jon Corzine
and President George W. Bush
.
In mid-summer, Jon Corzine and the Democratic-controlled state legislature
held a brief shutdown of state government
, which ultimately resulted in a sales tax increase, among other things.
In a September 2006 poll, SurveyUSA
found that Governor Jon Corzine received an approval rate of only 43%, with 48% of the state disapproving. Since Menendez had been appointed by Corzine, some pundits argued that this would be a resonating factor with a number of voters.
According to a separate September 2006 poll, SurveyUSA found that the state of New Jersey
had a rather high disapproval rating for Republican President George W. Bush
, with 64% disapproving and only 32% approving. This led some to argue that voters would take their discontent with Bush out on Kean in the November election.
Indeed, some pollsters demonstrated that concerns over the Iraq War and discontent with President Bush solidified the Democratic base in October's advertising blitz, and won over enough independents to seal of fate of the Republican nominee. On the eve of the election, Fairleigh Dickinson University
's PublicMind Poll reported that 65% likely voters said that the US invasion of Iraq was a mistake, "including nine of ten Democrats and six of ten independents." Observers also pointed out that "from the beginning, [Menendez] made much of his 2002 vote against the Iraq War Resolution, often referring to it as one of the most important votes of his career. He made it clear as well that he intended to make the race a referendum on the President."
Others attributed Kean's early strong showing in the polls of this blue state to uninformed voters confusing the three-year state senator with his father, the popular former governor and 9/11 Commission
chairman.
Because of Kean's perceived liberalism on social issues, he has been labeled by some conservatives as a Republican in Name Only (RINO
)
.
featuring First Lady Laura Bush
. It was here that both Senator Kean and Mrs. Bush pointed out that Kean is not George W. Bush
, claiming that Senator Menendez seems to confuse the two.
On June 16, 2006 at a New Jersey Association of Counties speaking event in Atlantic City
, Kean and his aides beat a hasty retreat from the ballroom engagement and "stampeded" into an elevator in an abortive attempt to avoid the press, only to exit on the same floor as they had entered. Kean declined to answer questions about the scathing attacks on his integrity which his opponent had delivered minutes earlier, instead opting to repeat "a few slogans."
In late June, the Associated Press
reported that Kean's campaign was planning a "Swift Boat
"-style film accusing Menendez of involvement in a New Jersey mob-connected kickback scheme "despite public records and statements disputing that claim." The AP article noted that "[f]our former federal prosecutors who oversaw the case have said Menendez was never involved in any wrongdoing." The airing of unsubstantiated allegations years or even decades old is a hallmark of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign attack style, which gained notoriety during the 2004 U.S. presidential election
.
In mid-September, The Star-Ledger
reported that Sen. Menendez had declined a national debate with Kean on the popular Sunday morning talk-show, Meet the Press
. A Menendez spokesperson stated that the incumbent Democrat would prefer to focus on local citizens and press. Menendez did agree to take place in three locally-aired debates with Kean, which will be aired between October 7–17. Kean withdrew from one of the scheduled debates to which he had previously committed, an October 14, 2006, debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters
, insisting on a national TV debate as a condition of his participation.
Both candidates have agreed to participate in a virtual
debate
sponsored by the nonpartisan Hall Institute of Public Policy - New Jersey
which provides "an unprecedented opportunity for candidates and citizens to engage in an interactive forum on the important issues confronting" New Jersey. Beginning in July and running through Election Day in November, the institute will submit questions to the candidates and then post their responses on its website. As of October 6, 2006, responses to six questions have been posted (see External Links below).
During 26 years in politics, Menendez has faced some unflattering editorials and reports in local newspapers. In 2005, op-eds in the New York Times and Star-Ledger have complained of bossism by Menendez, claiming he runs Hudson County as a political machine. The Bergen Record
has made an issue of his campaign spending, claiming the majority of his recent spending is not for traditional campaign activities such as advertising. Despite the allegations noted above, Menendez has never been charged or prosecuted for any crime related to his 26 year political political career. Indeed, a New York Times article in June, 2006, reported that the charges of ethical misconduct conflict with historical accounts and records which portray Menendez as crusading against the very corruption of which he stands accused.
On August 27, 2006, two Republican state lawmakers filed an ethics complaint against Menendez, alleging he broke conflict-of-interest rules when he collected more than $300,000 in rent over a period of nine years from a nonprofit agency which he aided in winning millions of dollars from federal funds. Menendez questioned the timing of the complaints, based on events of 14 years ago, so close to the election: "We have seen an orchestrated series of leaks, bogus ethics complaints and outright fabrications since the beginning of this campaign." The ethics complaint stated that Menendez's actions while a Congressman violated the ethics rules of the House of Representatives
. For his part, Menendez maintains that he received verbal clearance from the House Ethics Committee in 1994 before entering a lease agreement with the organization. On September 8, Menendez identified Mark Davis as the committee lawyer whom he consulted. However, Roll Call
reported that Davis left the ethics committee in 1993, prompting Menendez campaign spokesman Matt Miller to offer an alternate explanation: "It was his recollection that he talked to him about this, but it must have been someone else. It was 12 years ago." Governor Corzine, who appointed Menendez in January to serve out the remaining year of his own Senate term, said the investigation "has the appearance of being less than objective". Meanwhile, in response to charges of Republican complicity in spurring the investigation, Tom Kean said his campaign "absolutely" did not have any contact at any point with the U.S. Attorney's Office regarding the probe.
As of September, 2008, the NJ US Attorney's repeated and multiple investigations of Menendez's alleged corruption have still failed to generate a single indictment.
On September 28, 2006, The Star-Ledger reported that Sen. Menendez had fired his closest political adviser for seeking favors on behalf of then-Representative Menendez. A tape recorded in 1999 reveals the adviser, Donald Scarinci, asking a Hudson County psychiatrist named Oscar Sandoval to hire another physician as a favor to Menendez. He also states that he had helped Davila Colon, who worked in Menendez's congressional office from 1992–1997, get a job with Carl Goldberg, a developer and big fundraiser for Bob Menendez. A spokesperson for the Menendez campaign stated that "Scarinci was using Menendez's name without his authorization or his knowledge."
reported, "the same day state Sen. Tom Kean voted twice to let Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey keep a $40 million tax exemption, he collected $13,300 in contributions for his U.S. Senate race from 17 company executives and their family members. Kean cast the votes on the final day of the fight over the 2005 state budget and on the day of those votes, records show Kean received $13,300 in campaign donations from the Horizon executives, including $4,100 from Horizon CEO and president William Marino and his wife, Paula. The news report noted, "Aides to Kean said there was no connection between the votes and the contributions."
Democratic-advocacy site Blue Jersey alleged that a member of the Kean campaign was posing as a disillusioned Democrat when posting comments critical of Menendez on the site. The Kean campaign denied the charges, but major newspapers (such as the New York Times and the Star-Ledger) reported that the IP address used to make the comments was identical to one used by Kean campaign spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker
in official emails. The Kean campaign could not explain this discrepancy, but both Hazelbaker and Kean denied that she had been involved. The same IP address was also used to make multiple edits to Wikipedia pages linking Menendez to the accusations of corruption that were a centerpiece of Kean's campaign strategy.
The Kean campaign also drew scrutiny over its relationship with opposition researcher
Christopher Lyon
. Kean staffers denied that Lyon worked for Kean directly. A New York Times article about Lyon's role includes Hazelbaker's response to the issue:
According to the New York Times, Kean was defeated in part because he "built a campaign around his portrayal of Mr. Menendez as a shady, self-dealing, machine-produced Hudson County boss who hangs out with criminals. When asked about his views on Social Security or the Iraq war, Mr. Kean frequently mentioned that his opponent was 'under federal criminal investigation.' " In a poll, NJ voters tended to blame Kean rather than Menendez for negative campaigning. A later NY Times editorial stated, "The Republican candidate, Thomas Kean Jr., based his campaign almost exclusively on negative ads and attack-dog accusations against his Democratic opponent, Robert Menendez. For a while, it looked like the strategy might pay off, but in the end Senator Menendez was elected by a comfortable margin. Voters in several polls criticized Mr. Kean’s strategy."
of 2002. He subsequently argued that, "even knowing that there were no weapons of mass destruction
, Tom Kean Jr. has continually said he supports the war in Iraq and would have voted for it." Kean responded that Menendez "has traditionally been on the fringe of his own party. The case [for war] was clearly made with people who had far better information than he did." Kean's strategy was "to make the race on state level issues: corruption and taxes." But though voters thought the state was headed in the wrong direction, the Democratic governor's approval ratings among likely voters was strong headed into the November election.
The Sierra Club
, which had endorsed both candidates in some of their past races, endorsed Menendez for the Senate, citing his "15-year, extremely strong record on many federal [environmental] issues -- often achieving a League of Conservation Voters
voting record of 100%."
The New Jersey Educational Association PAC's Operating Committee (NJEA PAC) also endorsed Menendez.
poll showing Menendez ahead, 44% to Kean's 38%, Kean appeared to surge into the lead according to subsequent Zogby
, Monmouth
, Quinnipiac
, and Fairleigh Dickinson
polls, outpolling Menendez by varying differences within the margin of error. However, on the heels of an advertising blitz, Menendez has reclaimed the lead in the most recent FDU, Mason-Dixon, Gallup
, and Zogby polling. In light of to the race's volatility, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report
, Congressional Quarterly
, and Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball
shifted the race from "Leans Democratic" to "Toss-Up" or "No Clear Favorite" in their early September revisions despite the state's historically strong Democratic tilt.
New Jerseyans had not seen a summer poll with a Republican leading in a race for United States Senator since 1972, when incumbent Clifford Case led former Congressman Paul Krebs by a 44%-22% margin. (Case won the race 63%-35%.) Here are some past summer polling numbers from the Eagleton Institute archive:
A September 2006 SurveyUSA poll showed Menendez's approval rating at 40% and disapproval rating at 40% with 20% undecided, resulting in a net approval of 0%.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez will represent New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
for a six-year term ending January 2013. The seat was previously held by Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
. After he stepped down from his Senate seat and was sworn in Governor, Corzine appointed Rep. Menendez, who was sworn in on January 18, 2006. Menendez was challenged by Republican Thomas Kean, Jr. and seven other candidates. Filing for the primary closed on April 10, 2006. The primary election was held on June 6, 2006. Menendez became the first Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
to hold a U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey, and was the first Latino elected to statewide office in the state.
Candidates
- James Kelly, former Gubernatorial candidate
- Bob Menendez, incumbent and former U.S. Congressman from Union CityUnion City, New JerseyUnion City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...
Results
Menendez won the Democratic primary, with 86% of the vote, against James D. Kelly, Jr.Candidates
- John P. GintyJohn P. GintyJohn P. Ginty is a Republican politician who was a candidate in 2006 for the nomination for U.S. Senate and a financial data analyst from Ridgewood, New Jersey, United States....
, associate director with Standard & Poor'sStandard & Poor'sStandard & Poor's is a United States-based financial services company. It is a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies that publishes financial research and analysis on stocks and bonds. It is well known for its stock-market indices, the US-based S&P 500, the Australian S&P/ASX 200, the Canadian... - Thomas Kean, Jr., State Senator
Campaign
Ginty represented the conservative wing of the New Jersey Republican party. Kean is a moderate, who is the son of the former Governor of New JerseyGovernor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Thomas Kean
Thomas Kean
Thomas Howard Kean is an American Republican Party politician, who served as the 48th Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. Kean is best known globally, however, for his 2002 appointment as Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, widely known as the...
. Important factors in Kean's primary victory were his father's name recognition, along with Kean's self-described persona as a clean-cut corruption fighter.
A showdown between Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
Republican Organization (BCRO) conservatives and a group of insurgent moderate Republican critics ignited into a shoving match between supporters, with Kean temporarily refusing to accept the BCRO's endorsement of his candidacy, and refusing to run with the BCRO slate of nominees for the offices of County Executive
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
, Surrogate, and Freeholder. As a result, Ginty was drafted by Bergen County conservatives to fill out the conservative slate of candidates in Bergen County for the Republican primary. Kean eventually accepted the BCRO endorsement.
Ginty's entrance into the primary complicated matters for Kean, who had to consider moving to the right to secure the Republican nomination, something that would likely hamper his chances of defeating Menendez in November. Kean's supporters have argued there is virtually no chance for a pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
, anti-gay marriage Republican to win a statewide election in New Jersey, where 66% of the voters are self-identified as pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
and polls illustrate a distinct majority support gay marriage.
On March 20, 2006, Kean arrived late to a fundraising event for his campaign, after featured guest Vice President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
had left, which some accused of him doing deliberately to avoid photographs of the two, together, that could be printed in the media.
On March 27, 2006, at a news conference billed as a "major announcement", Kean called for state and federal tax cuts, asking Menendez and Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
to support them. In response, Matthew Miller, a spokesman for Menendez, said the U.S. senator supports "balanced tax cuts," not just ones that benefit the wealthiest Americans while expanding national debt.
On April 1, 2006, at the Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
Republican Convention, Kean won the endorsement for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate (in other words, Kean was chosen as the county organization's recommended candidate for the June primary) over Ginty by a vote of 79% to 21%. However, the deadline for local Republicans to register to attend the convention had passed before Ginty announced his candidacy.
The New Jersey Right To Life Political Action Committee endorsed Ginty on April 27, 2006.
On May 2, 2006, Ginty publicly called on Kean to stop soliciting the endorsement of the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
. Ginty said Kean should not seek their endorsement because the Sierra Club is an "environmental extremist group with a deep history of involvement in left-wing causes".
In early May, Ginty announced that he favors oil exploration in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States. It consists of in the Alaska North Slope region. It is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge...
(ANWR), something that Kean and Menendez both opposed.
Minor
- Daryl Mikell Brooks - "Poor People's Campaign"
- Brooks (from TrentonTrenton, New JerseyTrenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
) is a former candidate for New Jersey's 12th congressional districtNew Jersey's 12th congressional districtNew Jersey's Twelfth Congressional district is currently represented by Democrat Rush D. Holt Jr. The district is known for its research centers and educational institutions such as Princeton University, Institute for Advanced Study, Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers Squibb.-Voting trends:The...
in 2004.
- J.M. Carter - "God We Trust"
- Carter (from Lawrence Township (Mercer CountyLawrence Township, Mercer County, New JerseyArea residents often refer to all of Lawrence Township as Lawrenceville. Lawrenceville is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township...
) is a minister & former candidate for U.S. Senate in 2000.http://www.politics1.com/nj.htm
- Len Flynn - New Jersey Libertarian PartyNew Jersey Libertarian PartyThe New Jersey Libertarian Party is the state affiliate of the national Libertarian Party in New Jersey. As of June 3rd 2011, there were 1,451 registered Libertarians in New Jersey ....
- Flynn (from MarlboroMarlboro Township, New Jersey-Weather:Marlboro is located close to the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the location Marlboro Township has on the Eastern Seaboard, the following weather features are noted:*On average, the warmest month is July where the average high is and the average low is ....
) is a long-time Libertarian Party activist. Supports reductions in spending, taxes and the size of the Federal government.http://www.lenflynnforsenate.orghttp://www.njlp.org/http://www.hallnj.org/virtualdebate/flynn_opening.jsp
- Ed Forchion - "Legalize Marijuana (G.R.I.P.)"
- Forchion, also known as Weedman, (from Pemberton TownshipPemberton Township, New JerseyPemberton Township is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 28,691....
) is a Rastafarian. Supports religious tolerance and the decriminalization of marijuana.http://www.hallnj.org/virtualdebate/forchion_opening.jsp
- Angela L. Lariscy - Socialist Workers PartySocialist Workers Party (United States)The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
- Lariscy (from NewarkNewark, New JerseyNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
) is a sewing machine operator and trade unionist. Supports amnesty for all undocumented immigrants, abortion rights and opposes the Iraq War.http://www.hallnj.org/virtualdebate/lariscy_opening.jsp
- Gregory Pason http://www.votepason.org/ - Socialist Party USASocialist Party USAThe Socialist Party USA is a multi-tendency democratic-socialist party in the United States. The party states that it is the rightful continuation and successor to the tradition of the Socialist Party of America, which had lasted from 1901 to 1972.The party is officially committed to left-wing...
- Pason (from MaywoodMaywood, New JerseyMaywood is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 9,555.Maywood was incorporated as a borough on June 29, 1894, from portions of Midland Township, based on the results of a referendum held that day, at the height of the...
) is a social justice activist and former union official. Supports abortion rights and socialized healthcare, and opposes the Iraq war.http://www.hallnj.org/virtualdebate/pason_opening.jsp
- N. Leonard SmithN. Leonard SmithN. Leonard "Len" Smith is an American politician from New Jersey. He was a 2006 independent candidate for the United States Senate, a former member of the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and is a pro-life activist.-Biography:Smith was born in Philadelphia on March 13, 1929...
- "Solidarity, Defend Life"
- Smith (from HammontonHammonton, New JerseyHammonton is a town in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 14,791. It is located directly between Philadelphia and the resort town of Atlantic City, along a former route of the Pennsylvania Railroad currently used by New Jersey...
) is a retired teacher, Korean War veteran and former member of the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Opposes abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, judicial activismJudicial activismJudicial activism describes judicial ruling suspected of being based on personal or political considerations rather than on existing law. It is sometimes used as an antonym of judicial restraint. The definition of judicial activism, and which specific decisions are activist, is a controversial...
and supports veterans services.http://www.hallnj.org/virtualdebate/smith_opening.jsp- Anthony B. Fisher- "Results, Not Rhetoric"
Factors
The biggest factors in the New Jersey Senate race may have had little to do with the candidates involved and more to do with Governor of New JerseyGovernor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
and President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
In mid-summer, Jon Corzine and the Democratic-controlled state legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
held a brief shutdown of state government
2006 New Jersey State Government shutdown
The 2006 New Jersey state government shutdown was the first shutdown in the history of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The shutdown occurred after the New Jersey Legislature and Governor Jon Corzine failed to agree on a state budget by the constitutional deadline. Furthermore, Corzine and the...
, which ultimately resulted in a sales tax increase, among other things.
In a September 2006 poll, SurveyUSA
SurveyUSA
SurveyUSA is a polling firm in the United States. It conducts market research for corporations and interest groups, but is best known for conducting opinion polls for various political offices and questions...
found that Governor Jon Corzine received an approval rate of only 43%, with 48% of the state disapproving. Since Menendez had been appointed by Corzine, some pundits argued that this would be a resonating factor with a number of voters.
According to a separate September 2006 poll, SurveyUSA found that the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
had a rather high disapproval rating for Republican President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, with 64% disapproving and only 32% approving. This led some to argue that voters would take their discontent with Bush out on Kean in the November election.
Indeed, some pollsters demonstrated that concerns over the Iraq War and discontent with President Bush solidified the Democratic base in October's advertising blitz, and won over enough independents to seal of fate of the Republican nominee. On the eve of the election, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
's PublicMind Poll reported that 65% likely voters said that the US invasion of Iraq was a mistake, "including nine of ten Democrats and six of ten independents." Observers also pointed out that "from the beginning, [Menendez] made much of his 2002 vote against the Iraq War Resolution, often referring to it as one of the most important votes of his career. He made it clear as well that he intended to make the race a referendum on the President."
Others attributed Kean's early strong showing in the polls of this blue state to uninformed voters confusing the three-year state senator with his father, the popular former governor and 9/11 Commission
9/11 Commission
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up on November 27, 2002, "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks", including preparedness for and the immediate response to...
chairman.
Because of Kean's perceived liberalism on social issues, he has been labeled by some conservatives as a Republican in Name Only (RINO
Rino
Rino may refer to:* Republican In Name Only, a pejorative term for a person believed to not be a true Republican* Rino, a singer-songwriter that performs under CooRie* Rino Romano , Canadian voice actor...
)
.
Campaign
On June 13, 2006, Kean held a fundraiser in Ocean CountyOcean County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 510,916 people, 200,402 households, and 137,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 803 people per square mile . There were 248,711 housing units at an average density of 151/km²...
featuring First Lady Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
. It was here that both Senator Kean and Mrs. Bush pointed out that Kean is not George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, claiming that Senator Menendez seems to confuse the two.
On June 16, 2006 at a New Jersey Association of Counties speaking event in Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, Kean and his aides beat a hasty retreat from the ballroom engagement and "stampeded" into an elevator in an abortive attempt to avoid the press, only to exit on the same floor as they had entered. Kean declined to answer questions about the scathing attacks on his integrity which his opponent had delivered minutes earlier, instead opting to repeat "a few slogans."
In late June, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that Kean's campaign was planning a "Swift Boat
Swift Vets and POWs for Truth
Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, formerly known as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth , was a political group of United States Swift boat veterans and former prisoners of war of the Vietnam War, formed during the 2004 presidential election campaign for the purpose of opposing John Kerry's candidacy...
"-style film accusing Menendez of involvement in a New Jersey mob-connected kickback scheme "despite public records and statements disputing that claim." The AP article noted that "[f]our former federal prosecutors who oversaw the case have said Menendez was never involved in any wrongdoing." The airing of unsubstantiated allegations years or even decades old is a hallmark of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign attack style, which gained notoriety during the 2004 U.S. presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
.
In mid-September, The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
reported that Sen. Menendez had declined a national debate with Kean on the popular Sunday morning talk-show, Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
. A Menendez spokesperson stated that the incumbent Democrat would prefer to focus on local citizens and press. Menendez did agree to take place in three locally-aired debates with Kean, which will be aired between October 7–17. Kean withdrew from one of the scheduled debates to which he had previously committed, an October 14, 2006, debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is an American political organization founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the last meeting of the National American Woman Suffrage Association approximately six months before the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote...
, insisting on a national TV debate as a condition of his participation.
Both candidates have agreed to participate in a virtual
Virtual
The term virtual is a concept applied in many fields with somewhat differing connotations, and also, differing denotations.The term has been defined in philosophy as "that which is not real" but may display the salient qualities of the real....
debate
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
sponsored by the nonpartisan Hall Institute of Public Policy - New Jersey
Hall Institute of Public Policy - New Jersey
The Hall Institute for Public Policy - New Jersey is a nonpartisan, non-profit think tank that focuses on public policy issues in New Jersey. The institute was founded in 2005 by George E. Hall, a finance executive and philanthropist. Hall hired Michael P. Riccards, a former college president, as...
which provides "an unprecedented opportunity for candidates and citizens to engage in an interactive forum on the important issues confronting" New Jersey. Beginning in July and running through Election Day in November, the institute will submit questions to the candidates and then post their responses on its website. As of October 6, 2006, responses to six questions have been posted (see External Links below).
Menendez
The Kean headquarters was vandalized during the night before the general election. Vandals chained and locked the doors to the headquarters and broke off keys within the locks, attempting to hinder the Kean campaign. The Menendez campaign has denied any involvement.During 26 years in politics, Menendez has faced some unflattering editorials and reports in local newspapers. In 2005, op-eds in the New York Times and Star-Ledger have complained of bossism by Menendez, claiming he runs Hudson County as a political machine. The Bergen Record
The Record (Bergen County)
The Record is a newspaper in northern New Jersey. It has the second largest circulation of New Jersey's daily newspapers, behind The Star-Ledger. Owned by the Borg family since 1930, it is the flagship publication of the North Jersey Media Group. Stephen Borg is the publisher of The Record...
has made an issue of his campaign spending, claiming the majority of his recent spending is not for traditional campaign activities such as advertising. Despite the allegations noted above, Menendez has never been charged or prosecuted for any crime related to his 26 year political political career. Indeed, a New York Times article in June, 2006, reported that the charges of ethical misconduct conflict with historical accounts and records which portray Menendez as crusading against the very corruption of which he stands accused.
On August 27, 2006, two Republican state lawmakers filed an ethics complaint against Menendez, alleging he broke conflict-of-interest rules when he collected more than $300,000 in rent over a period of nine years from a nonprofit agency which he aided in winning millions of dollars from federal funds. Menendez questioned the timing of the complaints, based on events of 14 years ago, so close to the election: "We have seen an orchestrated series of leaks, bogus ethics complaints and outright fabrications since the beginning of this campaign." The ethics complaint stated that Menendez's actions while a Congressman violated the ethics rules of the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. For his part, Menendez maintains that he received verbal clearance from the House Ethics Committee in 1994 before entering a lease agreement with the organization. On September 8, Menendez identified Mark Davis as the committee lawyer whom he consulted. However, Roll Call
Roll Call
Roll Call is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C., United States, from Monday to Thursday when the United States Congress is in session and on Mondays only during recess. Roll Call reports news of legislative and political maneuverings on Capitol Hill, as well as political coverage of...
reported that Davis left the ethics committee in 1993, prompting Menendez campaign spokesman Matt Miller to offer an alternate explanation: "It was his recollection that he talked to him about this, but it must have been someone else. It was 12 years ago." Governor Corzine, who appointed Menendez in January to serve out the remaining year of his own Senate term, said the investigation "has the appearance of being less than objective". Meanwhile, in response to charges of Republican complicity in spurring the investigation, Tom Kean said his campaign "absolutely" did not have any contact at any point with the U.S. Attorney's Office regarding the probe.
As of September, 2008, the NJ US Attorney's repeated and multiple investigations of Menendez's alleged corruption have still failed to generate a single indictment.
On September 28, 2006, The Star-Ledger reported that Sen. Menendez had fired his closest political adviser for seeking favors on behalf of then-Representative Menendez. A tape recorded in 1999 reveals the adviser, Donald Scarinci, asking a Hudson County psychiatrist named Oscar Sandoval to hire another physician as a favor to Menendez. He also states that he had helped Davila Colon, who worked in Menendez's congressional office from 1992–1997, get a job with Carl Goldberg, a developer and big fundraiser for Bob Menendez. A spokesperson for the Menendez campaign stated that "Scarinci was using Menendez's name without his authorization or his knowledge."
Kean
On September 15, 2006, The Star-LedgerThe Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
reported, "the same day state Sen. Tom Kean voted twice to let Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey keep a $40 million tax exemption, he collected $13,300 in contributions for his U.S. Senate race from 17 company executives and their family members. Kean cast the votes on the final day of the fight over the 2005 state budget and on the day of those votes, records show Kean received $13,300 in campaign donations from the Horizon executives, including $4,100 from Horizon CEO and president William Marino and his wife, Paula. The news report noted, "Aides to Kean said there was no connection between the votes and the contributions."
Democratic-advocacy site Blue Jersey alleged that a member of the Kean campaign was posing as a disillusioned Democrat when posting comments critical of Menendez on the site. The Kean campaign denied the charges, but major newspapers (such as the New York Times and the Star-Ledger) reported that the IP address used to make the comments was identical to one used by Kean campaign spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker
Jill Hazelbaker
Jill Hazelbaker is a communications executive, political campaign spokesperson and campaign staff member primarily for candidates of the Republican Party in the United States. She is currently the head of corporate communications at Google....
in official emails. The Kean campaign could not explain this discrepancy, but both Hazelbaker and Kean denied that she had been involved. The same IP address was also used to make multiple edits to Wikipedia pages linking Menendez to the accusations of corruption that were a centerpiece of Kean's campaign strategy.
The Kean campaign also drew scrutiny over its relationship with opposition researcher
Opposition researcher
Opposition researchers are paid political consultants who research potentially damaging information about their employer's opponent. ....
Christopher Lyon
Christopher Lyon
Christopher Lyon is an opposition researcher who has worked for Republican party candidates in New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and on the national level....
. Kean staffers denied that Lyon worked for Kean directly. A New York Times article about Lyon's role includes Hazelbaker's response to the issue:
"I think the selective outrage here is a little laughable," said Hazelbaker, a Kean spokeswoman, who added that Mr. Menendez's former law partner, who was at his side when he was sworn in as a senator, had been convicted of dealing cocaine.
According to the New York Times, Kean was defeated in part because he "built a campaign around his portrayal of Mr. Menendez as a shady, self-dealing, machine-produced Hudson County boss who hangs out with criminals. When asked about his views on Social Security or the Iraq war, Mr. Kean frequently mentioned that his opponent was 'under federal criminal investigation.' " In a poll, NJ voters tended to blame Kean rather than Menendez for negative campaigning. A later NY Times editorial stated, "The Republican candidate, Thomas Kean Jr., based his campaign almost exclusively on negative ads and attack-dog accusations against his Democratic opponent, Robert Menendez. For a while, it looked like the strategy might pay off, but in the end Senator Menendez was elected by a comfortable margin. Voters in several polls criticized Mr. Kean’s strategy."
Issues
According to one observer, the Democratic candidate framed his race as referendum on the Republican president and the US military involvement in Iraq. Menendez, while still in the House of Representatives, voted against the Iraq War ResolutionIraq Resolution
The Iraq Resolution or the Iraq War Resolution is a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress in October 2002 as Public Law No: 107-243, authorizing military action against Iraq.-Contents:The resolution cited many factors to justify the use of military force against...
of 2002. He subsequently argued that, "even knowing that there were no weapons of mass destruction
Iraq and weapons of mass destruction
During the regime of Saddam Hussein, the nation of Iraq used, possessed, and made efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction . Hussein was internationally known for his use of chemical weapons in the 1980s against Iranian and Kurdish civilians during and after the Iran–Iraq War...
, Tom Kean Jr. has continually said he supports the war in Iraq and would have voted for it." Kean responded that Menendez "has traditionally been on the fringe of his own party. The case [for war] was clearly made with people who had far better information than he did." Kean's strategy was "to make the race on state level issues: corruption and taxes." But though voters thought the state was headed in the wrong direction, the Democratic governor's approval ratings among likely voters was strong headed into the November election.
The Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
, which had endorsed both candidates in some of their past races, endorsed Menendez for the Senate, citing his "15-year, extremely strong record on many federal [environmental] issues -- often achieving a League of Conservation Voters
League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters is a political advocacy organization founded in 1969 by American environmentalist David Brower in the early years of the environmental movement. LCV's mission is to "advocate for sound environmental policies and to elect pro-environmental candidates who will adopt...
voting record of 100%."
The New Jersey Educational Association PAC's Operating Committee (NJEA PAC) also endorsed Menendez.
Polling
Since the publication of an August 4, 2006, RasmussenScott Rasmussen
Scott W. Rasmussen is the founder and president of Rasmussen Reports. He is an American political analyst, author, speaker, and public opinion pollster...
poll showing Menendez ahead, 44% to Kean's 38%, Kean appeared to surge into the lead according to subsequent Zogby
John Zogby
John Zogby is an American political pollster and first senior fellow at The Catholic University of America's Life Cycle Institute. He is the founder, president and CEO of Zogby International, a polling firm known for both phone polling and interactive, Internet-based polling.-Early years:Zogby...
, Monmouth
Monmouth University
Monmouth University is a private university located in West Long Branch, New Jersey, United States.Founded in 1933 as Monmouth Junior College, it became Monmouth College in 1956, and later Monmouth University in 1995 after receiving its charter....
, Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac
This article is about the Native American nation. For the university, see Quinnipiac University.The Quinnipiac — rarely spelled Quinnipiack — is the English name for the Eansketambawg a Native American nation of the Algonquian family who inhabited the Wampanoki This article is about the Native...
, and Fairleigh Dickinson
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
polls, outpolling Menendez by varying differences within the margin of error. However, on the heels of an advertising blitz, Menendez has reclaimed the lead in the most recent FDU, Mason-Dixon, Gallup
The Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization, is primarily a research-based performance-management consulting company. Some of Gallup's key practice areas are - Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement and Well-Being. Gallup has over 40 offices in 27 countries. World headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Operational...
, and Zogby polling. In light of to the race's volatility, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report
Cook Political Report
The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five...
, Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
, and Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball
Sabato's Crystal Ball
Sabato’s Crystal Ball is a free, nonpartisan weekly online newsletter and comprehensive website in the United States that analyzes the current American political scene and predicts electoral outcomes for U.S House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, governors, and U.S. president races...
shifted the race from "Leans Democratic" to "Toss-Up" or "No Clear Favorite" in their early September revisions despite the state's historically strong Democratic tilt.
New Jerseyans had not seen a summer poll with a Republican leading in a race for United States Senator since 1972, when incumbent Clifford Case led former Congressman Paul Krebs by a 44%-22% margin. (Case won the race 63%-35%.) Here are some past summer polling numbers from the Eagleton Institute archive:
- 1990: Incumbent Bill BradleyBill BradleyWilliam Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....
led Christine Todd WhitmanChristine Todd WhitmanChristine Todd "Christie" Whitman is an American Republican politician and author who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. She was New...
by 46 points, 62%-16%. Bradley won in November by a 50%-47% margin. - 1994: Incumbent Frank LautenbergFrank LautenbergFrank Raleigh Lautenberg is the senior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automatic Data Processing, Inc.-Early life, career, and family:...
was ahead of Assembly Speaker Chuck HaytaianChuck HaytaianGarabed "Chuck" Haytaian is an American Republican Party politician, who was the Speaker of the New Jersey State Assembly during the 'tax revolt' of the James Florio – Christine Todd Whitman era. He is of Armenian descent....
by a 55%-29% margin, and won 50%-47%. - 1996: In the race between two Congressmen for Bradley's open seat, Democrat Bob Torricelli led Republican Dick ZimmerDick Zimmer (New Jersey politician)Richard Alan "Dick" Zimmer is an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey, who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and in the United States House of Representatives. He was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate from New Jersey in 1996 and 2008...
by eight points, 39%-31%. Torricelli won, 53%-43%. - 2000: Competing for Lautenberg's open seat, former Goldman Sachs CEO Jon CorzineJon CorzineJon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
had an eight point lead over GOP Congressman Bob FranksBob FranksRobert Douglas "Bob" Franks was a Republican politician. He was a former U.S. Representative from New Jersey.-Biography:...
, 39%-31%. Corzine won the seat, 50%-47%. - 2002: Incumbent Bob Torricelli led Republican Douglas Forrester by fourteen points, 43%-29%. By the end of September, Forrester had seized the lead and Torricelli withdrew. Frank LautenbergFrank LautenbergFrank Raleigh Lautenberg is the senior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automatic Data Processing, Inc.-Early life, career, and family:...
entered the race in his place, and won the seat by ten points, 54%-44%.
A September 2006 SurveyUSA poll showed Menendez's approval rating at 40% and disapproval rating at 40% with 20% undecided, resulting in a net approval of 0%.
| Source | Date | Menendez (D) | Kean Jr. (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OnPoint Polling and Research | November 6, 2006 | 50% | 41% |
| Quinnipiac | November 6, 2006 | 48% | 43% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | November 6, 2006 | 49% | 42% |
| USA Today/Gallup | November 5, 2006 | 50% | 40% |
| Mason-Dixon/MSNBC-McClatchy | November 5, 2006 | 48% | 41% |
| Monmouth University/Gannett | November 5, 2006 | 45% | 42% |
| WNBC/Marist Poll | November 4, 2006 | 50% | 42% |
| Rasmussen | November 3, 2006 | 48% | 43% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson/PublicMind | November 2, 2006 | 48% | 38% |
| Reuters/Zogby International | November 2, 2006 | 49% | 37% |
| Rutgers/Eagleton | November 2, 2006 | 46% | 42% |
| Quinnipiac | October 31, 2006 | 49% | 44% |
| CNN/Opinion Research Corporation | October 31, 2006 | 51% | 44% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | October 31, 2006 | 43% | 42% |
| Rasmussen | October 30, 2006 | 49% | 44% |
| CBS News/New York Times | October 26, 2006 | 40% | 39% |
| Rasmussen | October 25, 2006 | 45% | 45% |
| Bennett, Petts & Blumenthal (D) | October 23–25, 2006 | 45% | 36% |
| Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg | October 24, 2006 | 45% | 41% |
| Mason-Dixon/McClatchy-MSNBC | October 24, 2006 | 45% | 42% |
| Monmouth University | October 22, 2006 | 48% | 39% |
| Rasmussen | October 14, 2006 | 42% | 39% |
| Quinnipiac | October 12, 2006 | 49% | 45% |
| USA Today/Gallup | October 6, 2006 | 46% | 43% |
| Reuters/Zogby | October 5, 2006 | 46% | 35% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson | October 5, 2006 | 46% | 39% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | October 5, 2006 | 41% | 46% |
| Mason-Dixon/MSNBC | October 2, 2006 | 44% | 41% |
| WNBC/Marist Poll | September 30, 2006 | 37% | 42% |
| Rutgers/Eagleton | September 28, 2006 | 45% | 44% |
| Rasmussen | September 25, 2006 | 40% | 41% |
| Monmouth University | September 24, 2006 | 38% | 44% |
| Quinnipiac | September 20, 2006 | 45% | 48% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | September 14, 2006 | 40% | 44% |
| Rasmussen | August 31, 2006 | 39% | 44% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson | August 30, 2006 | 39% | 43% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | August 17, 2006 | 42% | 40% |
| Rasmussen | August 4, 2006 | 44% | 38% |
| Public Opinion Strategies (R) | August 2, 2006 | 38% | 39% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson | July 20, 2006 | 43% | 40% |
| Quinnipiac | July 17, 2006 | 38% | 40% |
| Monmouth University | July 17, 2006 | 38% | 37% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | July 12, 2006 | 43% | 37% |
| Rasmussen | June 27, 2006 | 46% | 40% |
| Rutgers/Eagleton | June 23, 2006 | 42% | 38% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | June 16–18, 2006 | 38% | 36% |
| Quinnipiac | June 7–13, 2006 | 43% | 36% |
| Rasmussen | May 26, 2006 | 37% | 40% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | May 12–14, 2006 | 35% | 35% |
| Quinnipiac | April 18–24, 2006 | 40% | 34% |
| Rasmussen | April 18, 2006 | 36% | 43% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | April 14, 2006 | 32% | 34% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson | April 6, 2006 | 38% | 42% |
| Rutgers/Eagleton | April 4, 2006 | 40% | 35% |
| Rasmussen | March 31, 2006 | 39% | 41% |
| Quinnipiac | March 20, 2006 | 40% | 36% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | March 10, 2006 | 30% | 32% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson | March 6, 2006 | 42% | 37% |
| Rasmussen | February 14, 2006 | 39% | 36% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | February 8, 2006 | 28% | 33% |
| Quinnipiac | January 25, 2006 | 38% | 36% |
| Rasmussen | January 25, 2006 | 35% | 42% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson | January 16, 2006 | 25% | 37% |
| Quinnipiac | December 15, 2005 | 44% | 38% |
| Rasmussen | December 7, 2005 | 38% | 34% |
| Quinnipiac | November 22, 2005 | 41% | 39% |