No poll this cycle has shown incumbent Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) ahead by less than 9 percentage points, and he’s ahead by 18 to 22 points in most recent polls.
Of course, all of those polls were taken before the Daily Caller reported that two women in the Dominican Republic are claiming he paid them for sex earlier this year. The senator denies the claims.
November surprise!
Menendez’s Republican opponent is Joe Kyrillos.
UPDATE: By the way, if you’re looking for three big arguments that this story will not make a giant splash . . .
1) Prostitution is legal in the Dominican Republic. This doesn’t make it right or any less sleazy, but it takes away the most vivid “senator accused of illegal acts” angle. Although I suppose paying only 20 percent of what you promised could get you in legal trouble . . .
2) Menendez is not married.
3) Most New Jersey residents have much bigger issues on their minds right now, thanks to Hurricane Sandy. In fact, this might be the very best possible time for this story to break for Menendez.