MENENDEZ IN MAPLEWOOD

Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, battling for re-election, was in Maplewood recently. WNYC reports:

Sen. Bob Menendez (R-NJ) is waging a spirited campaign for re-election, despite holding an 18-point lead in the polls. He has more money and more name recognition than Republican challenger Joe Kyrillos. But Kyrillos has his ace in the hole.

At a union hall in Maplewood, N.J., recently, Menendez fired up a group of rank-and-file workers that spanned traditional trades people with newly organized supermarket workers.

“We’re not letting Romney and Ryan and my opponent privatize Medicare, privatize Social Security and put all of those seniors at risk,” Menendez shouted to the cheering crowd.

The Cuban-American incumbent from Union City, N.J., served in the House of Representatives for 13 years and has been in the U.S. Senate for one term. Menendez is in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, supporting same sex marriage, environmental protection and higher taxes for the wealthy.