Andy Kim has a significant lead over both of his Republican challengers for U.S. Senate and a new poll released by Fairleigh Dickinson University.

The poll puts Kim around nine percentage points higher than either of his Republican challengers Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner and real estate developer Curtis Bashaw.

But those numbers are without the embattled U.S.

Senator Bob Menendez in the mix.

Add him in and this race gets much more interesting.

Menendez has until early June to declare a run as an independent.

And if he does well.

Poll numbers show he cut Kin's lead in half.

That Menendez base tends to be Hispanic and black voters who right now are undecided on who they'll vote for if Menendez is not in the race.

So what is the latest with the Menendez court battle?

Senior political correspondent David Cruz has our update.

Late last year, in an effort to explain almost half a million dollars in cash prosecutors say they found in his home in shoeboxes and duffel bags and suit jacket pockets.

Senator Bob Menendez told the story that was hard for many to understand, much less believe.

I have drawn from my personal credit union savings account for the better part of 30 years for hundred dollars every week in cash.

And while that may seem old fashioned, some people may think of it as crazy.

The reality is, is that the government has those records.

They have the accounts that show that.

And they chose not to use it.

Supposedly fear of government confiscation was the motivation there.

But in response to a defense motion to squash the money evidence, prosecutors said on Friday that some of that cash was wrapped in $10,000.

Bands from a bank where neither Menendez nor his wife had an account.

Well, a lot of the motions that have been filed by the defense are called motions in alimony, which are done in advance of trial.

And, of course, the defense attorneys are trying to basically exclude as much as possible that's introduced before the jury.

So in response to the government, governments coming back saying, wait a minute, that's that's not the right way to go.

This is a fact dispute and it's relevant for the jury to consider.

Former prosecutor Chris Grumet Joni said the senator's defense team has so far unsuccessfully tried to keep damaging evidence away from an eventual jury, even as the news of the motions allows that same evidence to seep into their minds.

It's things like excluding a lavish lifestyle by some of the coconspirators.

Excluding the fact that, one, that the coconspirators were not registered as foreign agents under the FARA Act.

And in terms of Senator and Mrs. Menendez or Senator Menendez, he's trying to exclude evidence like the gold bars and the cash on the basis that it's speculative evidence and, you know, that's in my personal opinion, I think that's going to carry any water.

One motion that did get the courts okayed was the motion to delay until July 19, Menendez's case.

As she deals with some undisclosed medical issues.

But yesterday, it was prosecutors who moved for a delay of the senator's trial, citing conflicts with the representation of some of the other co-defendants.

But the defense says they're actually ready to go next month.

That's a flip flop on the part of both sides.

So what can it mean for the senator's future?

I just don't I don't think he's he's always been a very realistic politician.

Right.

He didn't get where he is with flights of fancy.

He's got to know that that's not really in the cards for him.

His Senate career is coming to an end.

His political career is coming to an end.

My guess, my strong suspicion would be that he his goal here has to be to get himself out of as much legal trouble as he possibly can.

I mean, that would be the kind of deal that I would think he would be looking for.

Most experts assume more motions are likely in this case as prosecutors keep the pressure on and the defense looks for safety valves to relieve it.

Meanwhile, the state's political establishment continues to shake politically from the upheaval the case is causing.

I'm David Kruse, NJ.

Spotlight News.