A new poll shows that the vast majority of New Jersey voters believes Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., should resign if he is convicted of bribery-related charges as part of his ongoing trial for corruption.
A new Suffolk University poll released Monday said 84 percent of respondents believe Menendez should resign if convicted in the trial that started earlier this month. Ninety percent of Republicans believe he should resign, compared to 77 percent of Democrats and 88 percent of independents.
Any potential resignation would have major political repercussions in Washington depending on the timeline. If a conviction were to come down before Gov. Chris Christie’s term ends, it is likely a Republican would be appointed to fill out the remainder of his term and would give Republicans a potential 53rd vote in the Senate.
However, if a conviction and subsequent resignation take place after Christie leaves office, Democratic nominee Phil Murphy — the frontrunner to replace the two-term New Jersey governor — would likely select a Democrat to replace him if he wins the seat, which would keep the balance at 52-48.
Murphy will face off in the November general election against Lieutenant Gov. Kim Guadagno. According to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average, Murphy leads by 21 points.
