Race · November 3, 2026

U.S. House · New Jersey's 8th District

4 candidates on the ballot.1,2

§1Candidates

Why this matters: Every candidate the state lists for this race on the November ballot, in the state's own order.

Rob Menendez
Democratic · Incumbent
Currently represents New Jersey's 8th District in the U.S. House.
Aristotle Eliopoulos
INDEPENDENT · Challenger
Craig Honts
SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY · Challenger
Da'Shone Hughey
WE THE PEOPLE · Challenger

§2Side by side

Why this matters: The same facts for every candidate, in the same order. Where we found nothing for a candidate, the cell says so — that means we didn't find it in public sources, not that it doesn't exist.

Scroll sideways on small screens. Select a name for the full page.
Rob MenendezAristotle EliopoulosCraig HontsDa'Shone Hughey
Party on the ballotDemocratic1,2INDEPENDENT1,2SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY1,2WE THE PEOPLE1,2,3
StatusIncumbent4ChallengerChallengerChallenger
Raised$2,236,502 through October 14, 20265Not found in the public sources we checkedNot found in the public sources we checkedNot found in the public sources we checked
Cash on hand$722,4005Not found in the public sources we checkedNot found in the public sources we checkedNot found in the public sources we checked
Outside spending$877,616 for · $0 against6Not found in the public sources we checkedNot found in the public sources we checkedNot found in the public sources we checked
Small business loans and programsNot found in the public sources we checked
Expand SBA loans, research awards and contracting help for small businesses
Under small business success, it lists expanding access to low-interest business loans, simplifying tax compliance and reducing bureaucratic burdens.7		Not found in the public sources we checked
Expand SBA loans, research awards and contracting help for small businesses
The plan lists expanding access to capital, increasing federal contracting opportunities, and supporting businesses owned by minorities, veterans, women, immigrants and families.8
Union organizing rules
Make it easier to form a union (for example, the PRO Act)
Its organized labor page says he is an original cosponsor of the PRO Act in the 118th Congress, says he believes workers have a right to unionize, and lists passing the PRO Act among his goals.9		Under jobs and economic growth, it lists supporting union workers and collective bargaining.7Not found in the public sources we checkedNot found in the public sources we checked
Child tax creditThe same page lists expanding and extending the Child Tax Credit among his goals.10His campaign website lists expanding the Child Tax Credit among his steps to lower the cost of living.7Not found in the public sources we checkedNot found in the public sources we checked
Zoning and new housingIts affordability page lists supporting proposals to create more than 1 million affordable homes, including funding for a new Affordable Housing Access Program and affordable homes near mass transit, among his goals.11It lists encouraging construction of workforce and affordable housing and expanding housing opportunities near transit hubs.7Not found in the public sources we checkedThe Hughey Plan on his campaign website lists building 25,000 affordable and workforce housing units, expanding homeownership opportunities and converting vacant commercial buildings into housing, and describes a proposed act that would widen incentives for building affordable housing close to transit.8
Highway and transit fundingIts transportation page lists advocating for long-term funding for NJ Transit, securing continued federal support for the Gateway Program, and fighting for more funding for transportation projects in the district among his goals.12Under jobs and economic growth, it lists investing in infrastructure and transportation.7Not found in the public sources we checkedThe plan lists modernizing PATH stations, improving bus service, expanding ferry access, and upgrading roads, bridges and transit infrastructure.8

Issues only one candidate has addressed

By candidate, in ballot order. We found nothing public from the other candidates in this race on these issues.

Rob Menendez — 23 issues
  • Abortion law
    His campaign website says he belongs to the Pro-Choice Caucus and lists protecting reproductive choice among his legislative priorities, and its healthcare page says he wants to protect the right to choose.13,14
  • Abortion medication
    Its healthcare page lists enacting legislation to protect access to the medication used for abortions and urging the FDA to lift restrictions so that it is easier to get by mail.13
  • Birth control and IVF
    Its healthcare page lists the Right to Contraception Act among the reproductive health bills he has cosponsored.13
  • Government funding and abortion
    Let Medicaid and other public programs cover abortion (ending the Hyde Amendment)
    Its healthcare page lists repealing the Hyde Amendment, which it says makes abortion harder to obtain for women who have limited means.13
  • Who sets abortion law
    A national law making abortion legal in every state, at least until viability, as under Roe v. Wade
    Its healthcare page lists codifying Roe v. Wade among the things he will fight for and says he cosponsored the Women's Health Protection Act, which it says would codify Roe.13
  • Collective bargaining for public employees
    Its organized labor page lists passing the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, along with the PRO Act, among his goals.9
  • Federal minimum wage
    Raise to $15 or more
    Its affordability page says he cosponsored the Raise the Wage Act of 2023, which it says would lift the federal minimum wage to $17 per hour by 2027, and lists raising it to $17 by 2028 and adjusting it to keep pace with inflation among his goals.11
  • Student loan forgiveness
    Its child care and education page lists lowering interest rates on student loans and expanding loan forgiveness programs among his goals and says he cosponsored the Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act and the College for All Act; its affordability page lists addressing the student debt crisis.10,11
  • Tuition-free college
    Free tuition at public colleges and universities
    Its child care and education page lists guaranteeing free tuition for most students at public colleges and universities among his goals.10
  • Electric vehicles
    Its transportation page lists investing in electric buses and charging stations for electric vehicles among his goals, and its climate change page lists electrifying public transit.12,15
  • Oil and gas drilling on federal land and offshore
    Its climate change page says he cosponsored the COAST Anti-Drilling Act, along with the Clean Water Act, to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and set protective standards for wetlands, streams and other water bodies.15
  • Clean Water Act coverage of wetlands and streams
    The same page says he cosponsored the Clean Water Act, which it describes as setting protective standards for wetlands, streams and other water bodies.15
  • Child care costs
    Make child care free, or cap what families pay at a set share of income (such as 7%), paid for with new public funding
    The same page lists, among his goals, limiting what many families pay for child care to 7% of their income, and says he cosponsored the Child Care for Every Community Act and the Child Care Stabilization Act.10
  • AR-15-style rifles
    Ban the sale of these rifles
    The same page lists re-enacting and expanding the federal Assault Weapons Ban among his goals and says he cosponsored the Assault Weapons Ban.16
  • Background checks for gun sales
    Require checks for all gun sales, including private sales (with exceptions such as gifts between family members)
    Its gun control page lists widening background checks so that no one can buy a gun from a private seller without safety measures, and says he cosponsored the Bipartisan Background Checks Act.16
  • Red flag laws
    The same page says he cosponsored the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act.16
  • Rules for gun accessories and parts
    The same page lists addressing ghost guns, which it says let people who cannot lawfully own a firearm obtain one, among his goals.16
  • Health insurance system
    Keep the current mix of private and public coverage, including the ACA
    Its healthcare page says healthcare is a human right and lists protecting and expanding the Affordable Care Act among the things he will fight for.13
  • Asylum rules
    The same page lists robust asylum protections among the parts of immigration reform he supports.17
  • Immigration enforcement inside the country
    Abolish ICE and move any remaining enforcement work to other agencies
    Its immigration page lists abolishing ICE, closing private detention centers, decriminalizing immigration and ending mass deportation among the things he will work toward, and says he cosponsored the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act to end private immigration detention.17
  • Legal status for immigrants here without permission, including Dreamers
    A path to citizenship for most who meet requirements such as background checks
    The same page lists protecting Dreamers, TPS recipients, farmworkers and essential workers, and supporting immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship, among his goals.17
  • Passenger trains and Amtrak
    The same page lists securing continued funding and federal support for the Gateway Program, which it says would replace century-old bridges and tunnels on the Northeast Corridor, and says $4 billion from the Federal Railroad Administration has been secured for that corridor.12
  • State and local tax (SALT) deduction
    Remove the cap
    Its affordability page lists restoring the full SALT deduction among his goals, describing it as tax fairness for the district.11
Aristotle Eliopoulos — 3 issues
Da'Shone Hughey — 3 issues
  • Nuclear power
    His Hughey Doctrine page, which sets out a foreign policy and national security framework, says America should keep building domestic energy production and put investment into nuclear power, renewable energy, energy storage and an updated electric grid.18
  • Who decides on military action
    A Why Vote page listed in his campaign website's site map mentions the ongoing war involving Iran and lists making sure Congress meets its constitutional responsibilities regarding war among the capabilities he says America needs.19
  • Business tax breaks
    Expand breaks for investment, research and hiring, such as larger research credits for small businesses
    The plan describes a proposed Apprenticeship Growth & Small Business Act that would enlarge federal tax credits for small businesses that run apprenticeships and offer extra incentives to employers investing in distressed communities.8

Issue statements are drafted by AI from the public sources cited, and only cover what each candidate has said publicly.