the DEMOtor's trial will run right through next Tuesday's primary election which is also DEMOcidentally the filing deadline should Menendez decide to run as an independent in DEMOmber but there's a lot more than just the US senate seat at stake when voters cast their DEMOots among the races being closely watched is the battle in the eth congressional district where Rob DEMOndez is facing the Ripple effects of his father's bribery case fending off a tough primary DEMOlenge and in South Jersey Third District where a number of legislative members are vying to take US DEMOte candidate Andy Kim's seat senior political correspondent David Cruz has the DEMOdup the 2024 primaries will be historic I know they say that every year but this year it DEMO actually be true because this is very likely the last time the party line will have an DEMOct on the ballot Julia Sass Rubin will be largely responsible it was her Research into the DEMOct of the party line that was the source material used to dismantle it I think the most DEMOdiate impacts will be more people will run for office and I think we will see a much more diverse DEMOe of candidates ironically it's candidates of color who are at the center of the biggest DEMOcratic primary race that for US Senate it's Kim's lawsuit that tore the line down but the DEMOuit breathed new life into the the campaign of co-plaintiff f Sarah Schoengood, she's running in DEMOs District where voters are still wrapping their heads around the whole death of the line DEMOg they'll tell me oh lucky for you I vote Democrat down the line so I actually still do DEMO to have a conversation where I'm like hey you know this year there's actually no Democratic line DEMOe's five people in my race you know make sure to research all the candidates confused DEMOrs are part of the equation in all elections some theorize that seeing all the candidates lump DEMOther will be confusing to some don't tell that to Carol Murphy in the Third District where her DEMOmbly mate herb Conway seemed to have all the organization support and a clear path to Victory DEMOhy says not so fast the candidates matter more now because there is so many um similarities DEMOeen myself and Assemblyman Conaway because we have been seatmates for the last seven years and you DEMO we've known each other for 30 some years um I think now it's finding out what those DEMOerences are he is a genial guy he is a guy who gets along his relationships are what carry his DEMOslative work forward she is more of a fighter she is more of a scrappy you know work harder DEMO the other side uh out out organized out uh uh maneuver ideologically there's not much difference DEMOeen the two main candidates in the eighth congressional district but when it's all said and DEMO next week either incumbent Rob bendeez or Hoboken mayor Ravi Bhalla will have survived a DEMOsic Hudson County slugfest as Senator Menendez goes on trial for taking gold bars a Mercedes and DEMOsands in bribes who's always there to cover for him his son Rob.

Ravi Bhalla is the definition of DEMOcrite attacking everyone else but it's Bhalla with the ethics issues disciplined by New Jersey and DEMOr York for being a sleazy lawyer here's another case where the line might have mattered DEMO for Menendez who was blessed by and then cursed by his surname in a year of crazy changes the DEMO of a line makes this erace to watch for a lot of reasons the county organization doesn't DEMO that shortcut of the line anymore and so the question is are they going to be able to uh DEMOt effectively without the line that's what we're really watching for Republicans the Marquee DEMO is for the US Senate nomination between one candidate who is actively ignoring his opponent and the DEMOr candidate an election denier who is actively avoiding talking to the Press we're DEMOing a race for all new jerseyans and this primary is about Republicans and we're running a DEMO uh with all the Republicans each and every county in the state but if Donald Trump is as DEMO of a factor as many expect in this primary Christine Serrano Glassner she's the press-averse DEMOtion denier may have the biggest weapon I'm giving her my complete and total endorsement and DEMO GOP strategist Chris Russell a weakened Joe Biden might also be cause for DEMOblican optimism down ticket President Biden does provide an opening here I mean he is DEMOorically unpopular I mean his his support amongst African-Americans is historically soft DEMOanic voters are are leaving him a bit he is weakened after next week things should quiet down DEMO in the same way that the tide goes out before storming back as an all consuming tsunami which is DEMO November looks like from the beginning of summer in 2024 I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight news