Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Previous representatives: Albio Sires (D, 2013-2023); Bob Menendez (D, 1993-2006, as NJ-13)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Non-English language at home: ~50% of households (Spanish dominant, plus Arabic, Hindi, Tagalog)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Average commute time: 33.3 minutes
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median age: 35.7
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Unemployment rate: 6.5%
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Public transit commuting share: 27.0% (among highest nationally)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Foreign-born population: ~41% (313k)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Asian population share: 11.5% (88k)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: White (Non-Hispanic) population share: 31% (237k)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Hispanic population share: 51.2% (391k)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Population: 763,596 (2024)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median rent: $1,808
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median property value: $519,200
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Bachelor's degree or higher: 41.5%
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Homeownership rate: 28.1%
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Poverty rate: 11.9% (2024)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median household income: $84,356 (2024)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: New Jersey — Congressional Redistricting (2022, redrew NJ-08 boundaries slightly) (2022) — enacted, margin NJ-08 shifted modestly but remained safely Democratic
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: New Jersey Public Question 1 — Right to Reproductive Freedom (state constitutional amendment, 2024) (2024) — passed, margin approved by voters
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (share 0.08)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 52 - Finance and Insurance (share 0.09)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 48-49 - Transportation and Warehousing (Port, logistics) (share 0.1)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 62 - Health Care and Social Assistance (share 0.14)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Top employer: Port of Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal (Port Authority of NY & NJ) (5000 employees)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Top employer: JPMorgan Chase (Jersey City regional operations) (3000 employees)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Top employer: Goldman Sachs (Jersey City office — major regional hub) (4000 employees)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Top employer: Jersey City Medical Center (RWJBarnabas Health) (3000 employees)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] Top employer: CarePoint Health (Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital, Hoboken University Medical Center) (4000 employees)
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[constituency_baseline] District summary: New Jersey's 8th Congressional District encompasses the most densely urban parts of the New York metro area in Hudson County, including Jersey City (the state's second-largest city), parts of Newark in Essex County, and Elizabeth in Union County. With approximately 763,596 residents, it is a safe Democratic seat (Cook PVI D+26) that Menendez has represented since 2023, succeeding retiring Rep. Albio Sires. His father, former Sen. Bob Menendez, represented the area from 1993-2006 when it was numbered the 13th district. The district has a median household income of $84,356 — more than double the national median — and a poverty rate of 11.9%. It is a majority-minority district where Hispanic residents are the largest group at 51.2%, with White (31%), Asian (11.5%), and Black residents making up the remainder. Only 28.1% of residents own their home (vs. 65.5% nationally), with a median home value of $519,200 and median rent of $1,808. 41.5% hold bachelor's degrees, well above the 33.7% national average. The economy is anchored by healthcare, transportation/logistics (Port of Newark-Elizabeth), finance, and professional services. The median age is 35.7, significantly younger than the national average of 38.5. 27% use public transit to commute — among the highest rates of any congressional district — with an average commute of 33.3 minutes. The district is home to large immigrant communities from Latin America, South Asia, and the Caribbean. Key local concerns include housing affordability, immigration policy, healthcare access, and education. Menendez's father's 2024 corruption conviction and 11-year prison sentence for acting as an agent of Egypt while chairing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee cast a long shadow over the younger Menendez's political career, with primary challengers in both 2024 (Ravi Bhalla) and 2026 (Mussab Ali) making nepotism and the Menendez name central campaign issues.
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Voted nay on H.R. 1526 (No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA) — On Passage) on 2025-04-11: Menendez voted with Democrats against limiting federal district courts' ability to issue nationwide injunctions against Trump executive actions. The vote aligned with his broader anti-Trump positioning — he had been personally confronted by ICE agents at Delaney Hall detention center in Newark and was a leading voice against Trump's immigration enforcement. Preserving judicial oversight of executive actions was consistent with his message that ICE was acting with 'no weight of the law and no restraint.'
Date: 2025-04-11
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Voted yea on H.R. 5371 (Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — Ending the 43-Day Government Shutdown) on 2025-11-12: Menendez voted to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, aligning with the governing wing of the Democratic caucus. His district's 11.9% poverty rate and high SNAP utilization meant the shutdown's effects on food assistance were locally salient. His vote was consistent with his pragmatic approach to government funding — he opposed shutdowns as harmful to constituents — while maintaining his opposition to specific enforcement provisions. Six House Democrats crossed party lines to vote Nay, but nearly all New Jersey Democrats supported reopening the government.
Date: 2025-11-12
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Voted nay on H.R. 7567 (Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (Farm Bill) — On Passage) on 2026-04-30: Menendez voted with 197 Democrats against the Farm Bill (224-200). His densely urban district has negligible agricultural production, making the farm-subsidy provisions politically irrelevant for his constituents. The bill preserved SNAP cuts from the OBBB, directly affecting food-insecure families in his 11.9% poverty-rate district. Only 14 Democrats crossed party lines to support; Menendez's Nay was consistent with Democratic leadership and his prior opposition to safety-net cuts. His district's 0.5% public transit commuting share and 27% public transit mode share (much higher than the national average) mean the transportation and nutrition provisions were the primary local nexus.
Date: 2026-04-30
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Voted nay on H.R. 22 (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — On Passage) on 2025-04-10: Menendez voted with all but 4 Democrats against requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration (220-208). His district is 51.2% Hispanic with a 41% foreign-born population and significant naturalized citizen communities — the ID requirements would create disproportionate barriers for eligible voters in his district. The League of Women Voters characterized the bill as voter suppression. Only 4 Democrats joined all Republicans. Menendez's Nay vote aligned with his district's demographic interests and his progressive caucus positioning.
Date: 2025-04-10
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Voted nay on H.R. 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act — On Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment and Final Passage) on 2025-07-03: Menendez voted with all 212 Democrats against the OBBB (218-214), calling it a 'disastrous bill' and vowing: 'No spin can hide the fact that this bill will hurt people.' He was a vocal opponent on social media. The bill raised the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 — a provision Menendez had championed through his co-sponsorship of the SALT Deductibility Act and his membership on the Congressional SALT Caucus. His district's $519,200 median home value and high New Jersey property taxes made SALT relief particularly salient for homeowners. However, the bill's $930 billion in Medicaid cuts would have disproportionately harmed his district's 11.9% poverty-rate population, and the NJ-08 homeownership rate is only 28.1%, meaning the majority of his constituents are renters unaffected by SALT. Menendez prioritized opposition to Medicaid and SNAP cuts over the partial SALT relief he had long advocated for. The AFL-CIO scored his vote favorably.
Date: 2025-07-03
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Voted nay on S. 5 / H.R. 29 (Laken Riley Act — On Passage) on 2025-01-22: Menendez was one of 156 Democrats to vote against mandatory ICE detention for undocumented immigrants charged with theft (263-156). His district is 51.2% Hispanic and 41% foreign-born with significant immigrant communities — ICE enforcement directly impacts his constituents. 46 Democrats crossed party lines to support the bill; Menendez was not among them. His Nay vote, combined with his subsequent calls to 'abolish ICE,' positions him as one of the most immigration-enforcement-skeptical Democrats in Congress. This vote aligned squarely with the interests of his majority-minority district.
Date: 2025-01-22
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[vote] On April 20, 2024, Menendez voted Yea on the $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, stating: 'I was proud to vote for a bipartisan package of bills that provides long-overdue assistance for our allies...it's both a moral imperative and essential to our national security.'
Date: 2024-04-20
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[disclosure] Menendez's father, former Senator Bob Menendez, was convicted on 16 federal corruption counts in July 2024 for accepting gold bars, $480,000 in cash, and a Mercedes-Benz in exchange for acting as an agent of the Egyptian government while chairing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Rob Menendez has not been implicated in his father's crimes and refers to the matter as his father's 'legal troubles.'
Date: 2025-01-29
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[statement] Menendez has called for the abolition of ICE, stating at a February 2026 virtual town hall: 'We need to abolish ICE.' His official House website states he 'has called for the end of ICE and led efforts to demand that ICE agents identify themselves.' He also urged New Jersey to divest $130 million from Palantir Technologies due to its ICE contracts.
Date: 2026-02-27
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[vote] Menendez voted Nay on the Laken Riley Act (S. 5, Roll Call 23) on January 22, 2025, joining 156 Democrats opposing mandatory ICE detention for undocumented immigrants charged with theft. New Jersey's entire Democratic delegation voted against the bill.
Date: 2025-01-22
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[disclosure] The OBBB raised the SALT deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000 for tax years 2025-2029. NJ-08 has a median home value of $519,200 with high property taxes — only 28.1% homeownership, but for the homeowners in his district, the SALT relief would have been among the most meaningful in the nation. Menendez voted Nay, prioritizing the bill's $930 billion in Medicaid cuts and deficit expansion over the partial SALT cap relief his district's homeowners would have received.
Date: 2025-07-04
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[platform] Menendez co-sponsored the SALT Deductibility Act (April 2023) to fully restore the SALT deduction, calling the $10,000 cap 'unfairly penalizing New Jersey families.' He joined a bipartisan coalition pushing for full SALT cap repeal in January 2025.
Date: 2025-01-15
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[vote] Menendez voted Nay on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, Roll Call 190) on July 3, 2025, calling it a 'disastrous bill' and stating: 'No spin can hide the fact that this bill will hurt people.' He voted against both the May 22, 2025 first passage and the July 3, 2025 final concurrence.
Date: 2025-07-03
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
[statement] Menendez secured over $19.8 million in Community Project Funding for his district in FY2024, announcing the funding in March 2024. He stated: 'I'm proud to have secured these critical investments for our community.'
Date: 2024-03-06
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
In November 2023, expelled Rep. George Santos targeted Menendez along with three other House members, alleging campaign finance violations and ethical breaches. Santos specifically mentioned stock trading activities, though no formal findings resulted.
Date: 2023-12-04
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Menendez serves on the House Homeland Security Committee and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He previously chaired the Governance and Ethics Committee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Date: 2025-01-03
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Menendez's leadership PAC is a significant vehicle. He raised $100,000 to help House Democrats retain their majority in 2022, putting him on the radar of party leaders. He also helped raise money for other candidates through joint fundraising.
Date: 2022-10-05
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Quiver Quantitative estimates Menendez's net worth at $1.3 million as of April 30, 2026 — the 309th highest in Congress.
Date: 2026-04-30
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Menendez was one of 90 congressional Democrats endorsed by AIPAC in 2024. During his 2026 primary, challenger Mussab Ali called on Menendez to disavow AIPAC and reject their funding, making the Israel lobby a central campaign issue.
Date: 2026-03-31
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Top contributing organizations (2023-2024): American Israel Public Affairs Cmte ($235,430 total — $230,430 individuals + $5,000 PAC), Lowenstein Sandler LLP ($35,050 — all individuals), Blackstone Group ($19,800 — all individuals), Ironstate Holdings ($19,200 — all individuals), Urby LLC ($16,600 — all individuals).
Date: 2024-12-31
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Top contributing industries (2023-2024): Pro-Israel ($256,118 — $245,118 individuals + $11,000 PACs), Lawyers/Law Firms ($212,236 — $190,486 individuals + $21,750 PACs), Lobbyists ($147,812 — $143,751 individuals + $4,061 PACs), Real Estate ($145,050 — $130,550 individuals + $14,500 PACs), Leadership PACs ($138,102 — $10,800 individuals + $127,302 PACs).
Date: 2024-12-31
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
2023-2024 election cycle: Raised $2,371,989; Spent $2,450,498; Cash on hand $276,685; Debts $0. Source of funds: Large individual contributions 64.92% ($1,545,882), PAC contributions 34.54% ($822,383), Small individual contributions (<$200) 0.53% ($12,811).
Date: 2024-12-31
Added: 03 May 2026
Pending Review
Robert Menendez filed filing with the SEC on 2017-09-08. Accession number: N/A.
Date: 2017-09-08
Added: 23 Apr 2026
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