Global Strategy Group Dem. congressional primary poll of NJ-08, conducted Apr. 1-4 with a sample size of 400 LVs, & a +/- 4.9% margin-of-error:
The poll shows Bhalla, the two-term mayor of Hoboken, leading Menendez 33%-28%. Nearly one-third of Democratic primary voters (32%) are still undecided. Bhalla's lead is just outside the margin of error.
A third candidate, Kyle Jasey, is at 7%.
Menendez has high name identification, with favorables of 38%-34%, while Bhalla is at 38%-8%.
"Bhalla has room to grow, while Menendez is close to his ceiling. The majority of voters have yet to learn about Bhalla," the pollster said in a memo. "Bhalla's vote share is likely to grow as his campaign has a chance to introduce him to voters, while Menendez faces an electorate that already has a sense of who he is."
Bhalla's net favorability is at 30%, while Menendez is at 4%.
The freshman congressman's father, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, is wildly unpopular in New Jersey's 8th district; his favorables are deeply under water at 22%- 69%. Senator Menendez represented the district in the House from 1993 until joining the U.S. Senate in 2006.
"Senator Bob Menendez is more likely to be a hinderance than a help to his son, Rob Menendez," the polling memo said.
Some bad news for Menendez: in a Hispanic-majority district, Bhalla had a four-point lead in the Democratic primary, a number within the margin of error. Almost seven in ten Hispanic voters (68%) view Senator Menendez unfavorably.
Among Hispanics, Bhalla has a 31%-27% lead over Menendez, with Jasey at 10%.
