One of the most corrupt politicians in all of Congress has just left his party.
Democrat New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez has just registered for the upcoming election as an independent.
While Dems will not be upset to see him go, this could have a dramatic impact on the upcoming election for his seat.
I’m Gone
Menendez’s hand was forced because the party did not want him to run for re-election while on trial in a bribery scandal.
Had Democrats forced him to resign, Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who won the Democratic primary, could have taken the seat and been the odds-on favorite in the upcoming election.
Instead, Kim will now face off against Menendez as an independent and his Republican challenger.
Normally, there is no way a GOP candidate would have a chance here, but with Menendez siphoning off votes, this race could be very interesting.
And Menendez’s seat is not the only seat at risk, as Democrats also recently lost Senator Joe Manchin, who just refiled as an independent.
Manchin’s problems with the party resulted in Manchin not running for re-election, which has opened the door for Republicans to flip the seat.
These are all seats that the GOP never thought it could win, but they were already favored to flip the Senate.
Now, we might soon be talking about filibuster breaking majority, which would be a worst-case scenario for Democrats, especially if the GOP can somehow hold the majority in the House.
I wish I was as confident about the House as I am about the Senate, but all the dysfunction in the House since the GOP took over has to hurt them in the upcoming election.
The only thing I can see saving the House for Republicans would be people being so outraged over the Trump conviction that they turn out en masse and keep the GOP in charge.
