Cuban-American Bob Menéndez withdraws from U.S. Senate race in New Jersey

Cuban-American Sen. Bob Menéndez, a prominent figure in American politics for five decades, has announced his definitive retirement from the political arena after being found guilty of corruption last July.

Menendez, who served as a Democratic senator from New Jersey since 2006, initially resisted pressure from his party to resign, and launched a campaign as an independent candidate.

However, growing criticism and calls for his resignation from Democratic colleagues, coupled with legal proceedings against him, led him to reconsider his position.

In a one-sentence email sent to the head of the New Jersey Division of Elections, Menendez officially requested that his name be removed from the ballot for the November election, a move that excludes him from American politics entirely.

“I am advising you that I wish to have my name withdrawn from the ballot,” Menendez wrote to the New Jersey Division of Elections.

This email was sent Friday, just one hour before the deadline to withdraw, and shortly after his resignation from the Senate, effective August 20.

The state's governor, Phil Murphy, was forced to name a temporary replacement, appointing George Helmy, his former chief of staff, to fill the vacant Senate seat. Helmy will serve until the results of the November election are certified, at which time the winner will be named to fill the position permanently.

With Menendez's departure, the November race looks like a tight contest between Democratic Rep. Andy Kim and Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw, who are now competing for the seat vacated by one of the country's most veteran politicians.

 On July 16, a New York federal court jury found Menendez guilty of 16 criminal counts, including obstruction of justice, wire fraud and racketeering.

Prosecutors detailed a bribery scheme in which Menendez, along with his wife Nadine, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars, and car and mortgage payments in exchange for political favors for three businessmen. Additionally, he was accused of acting as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt and Qatar.

Menéndez has maintained his innocence, ensuring that he will appeal the decision. The sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 29, just a week before the November 5 elections, in which he will no longer participate as a candidate.