Ex-TV news reporter is running as a Republican for Bob Menendez’s Senate seat in New Jersey

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) —

A former TV news reporter known for his aggressive on-camera demeanor is getting into New Jersey’s U.S. Senate race as a Republican candidate for the seat currently held by Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who’s facing federal corruption charges.

Alex Zdan, 38, a former news reporter for News 12 New Jersey, announced his candidacy Friday in an online video showing him at the U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona, where he called for an end to illegal border crossings in what has emerged as a major campaign theme for Republican candidates nationwide. The video depicts gaps in the border fence.

Zdan joins a GOP field that is quickly filling with candidates, including Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner and southern New Jersey businessman Curtis Bashaw on the GOP side. New Jersey has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1972, but Republicans are hoping the turmoil surrounding Menendez gives them a pickup opportunity in the narrowly divided chamber.

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