Rob Menendez

Robert Jacobsen Menendez Jr. (born July 12, 1985) is an American lawyer and politician. He has served as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 8th congressional district since 2023. Menendez is a member of the Democratic Party. He is also the son of former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. Before becoming a U.S. representative, Menendez worked as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 2021 to 2023.

Early life

Rob Menendez was born in Englewood, New Jersey and grew up in Union City, New Jersey. His father, Robert Menendez, was a former Senator from New Jersey. His mother, Jane Jacobsen, taught in public schools. Rob’s father is from Cuba, and his mother has German, Norwegian, and Irish roots.

He went to public schools in Union City until eighth grade. Then he attended The Hudson School in Hoboken, New Jersey and graduated in 2003. He studied political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later studied law at Rutgers Law School. While there, he took on leadership roles and received an award for his work.

Early career

Rob Menendez worked as a lawyer with Lowenstein Sandler LLP.

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

On April 15, 2021, Menendez was chosen to be a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey by Governor Phil Murphy. He was confirmed by the New Jersey State Senate on June 3, 2021, and started his role the next day. He was the first person from New Jersey who is Latino and the youngest ever to serve as a Port Authority Commissioner. While on the board, Menendez led the Governance and Ethics Committee and helped manage the Finance Committee. He left his position as commissioner on January 2, 2023, the day before he began working in Congress.

United States House of Representatives

Elections

2022

See also: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey § District 8

Rob Menendez is a member of the Democratic Party. He decided to run for New Jersey's 8th congressional district after the current representative, Albio Sires, said he would not run again. His father had also served the area before Sires.

Menendez got support from important leaders in New Jersey, like the governor and mayors. He talked about helping families with money problems, like paying for houses, doctors, and schools. He also talked about safety from guns and helping workers. He won the election with most of the votes.

2024

See also: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey § District 8

Menendez won again in 2024. He beat other people in the Democratic primary and then won the general election against a Republican opponent.

Tenure

As a new representative, Menendez was chosen to help organize votes for his party. He also joined a special group for leaders from different areas.

In 2023, he was part of a group that decided whether to remove another member of Congress. He changed his mind after more information came out.

In his second term, Menendez got a spot on an important committee about energy and business. He also took on a leadership role to help his party get more seats in future elections. He works with a group that supports leaders from Hispanic backgrounds.

In 2025, Menendez visited a place where people wait for papers to live in the United States. He said some officials tried to stop them from checking on the place.

Committee assignments

Committee Assignments of the 119th Congress:

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Energy
  • Subcommittee on Environment

Former

• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
  • Subcommittee on Aviation
• Committee on Homeland Security
  • Subcommittee on Cybersecurity

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Hispanic Caucus (Vice Chair of Policy)
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
• House Pro-Choice Caucus
• Congressional Equality Caucus
• Congressional Dads' Caucus
• House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism
• Congressional Renters Caucus
• Future Forum Caucus
• Congressional Armenian Caucus
• Congressional Labor Caucus
• Congressional State and Local Tax (SALT) Caucus
• Congressional Caucus on Homelessness
• Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
• Congressional Ukraine Caucus
• Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus
• Congressional Mental Health Caucus
• Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus
• Congressional PORTS Caucus
• Congressional 5G and Beyond Caucus
• Congressional Hellenic Caucus

Personal life

Rob Menendez lives in Jersey City, New Jersey. He married Alex Banfich Menendez in 2017, and they have two children.