New Jersey Democratic leaders support Sen. Robert Menendez for re-election in 2018 despite the federal corruption charges he faces.
Menendez was originally charged in April 2015 for allegedly selling his office and pressuring federal officials to boost the business interests of eye doctor and co-defendant Salomon Melgen.
New Jersey has not elected a Republican to the Senate since before Watergate, reported NorthJersey.com, and Democrats looking to be on the ballot with Menendez in 2018 said they are not worried about his future.
"I expect him to be there," said U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman. "He's still a strong leader, and we still respect him and know he looks out for the state of New Jersey."
Rep. Donald Norcross of New Jersey's 1st Congressional District, said Menendez is doing an "excellent" job.
"The most important thing is, he needs to have a fair and open process for what he's facing," Norcross said.
Menendez's lawyers are gearing up to ask the Supreme Court to throw out large portions of his indictment.
"He feels that now is the time to step up, not step away, and has said publicly to the people of New Jersey and privately to the people who have helped his political campaigns over the past four decades that he intends to run for re-election and do so aggressively," Menendez consultant Michael Soliman said.
