Cook moves Menendez race in New Jersey tossup

The Cook Political Report has shifted Sen. Bob MenendezRobert (Bob) MenendezTrump lowers refugee goal to 30,000, he must meet it Blame Senate, not FBI, for Kavanaugh travesty Dems urge tech companies remove 3D-gun blueprints MORE'S (D-N.J.) Reelection race to a toss-up in New Jersey, a depressing development for Democrats, who are having to protect a seat in a deep-blue state President TrumpDonald John TrumpFour takeaways from Heitkamp and Cramer's final tense Senate debate Obama takes jab at Trump: 'Nobody in my administration got indicted' Lawyer for mail bomb suspicious family: 'He found a father in Trump' MORE is more popular.

The Republican Bob Hugin, a pharmaceutical company CEO, has become a tough candidate in the United States. since 1972.

Jennifer Duffy, a Senate analyst for Cook, wrote on Friday that the race has not been written about. Menendez, who has denied any wrongdoing.

His trial ended in a jury, and federal prosecutors later dropped the charges. But the Senate Ethics Committee "severely" admonished Menendez this year over the case.

"The biggest threat to Menendez's re-election is not so much. "Duffy said.

"There is certainly a thumb on the scale for Menendez, who is said to have a lead of between four and six points, in this very blue state, but the race is close enough to warrant a move to Toss Up."

Democrats face a difficult battleground for the Senate this year, as the party is defending almost three times the seats as Republicans, many of them in states won by President Trump in 2016 by double-digit margins.

New Jersey is decidedly not one of the states where North Dakota, Montana, Missouri, Indiana and Florida, which all feature tough races.

Polls showed Menendez leading with a mid-to high single-digit margin. But Hugin has been willing to massively spend out-of-pocket, totaling $ 27.5 million. He's heavily outspent Menendez, though the senator has gotten some help from National Democrats, specifically millions in advertising from Senate Majority PAC.

Menendez and Hugin sparred in their one and only on Wednesday night, when they traded sharp personal barbs.

Menendez called Hugin a "greedy health-care CEO" and blasted him for his trumpet as he worked on the president's New Jersey campaign. Meanwhile, Hugin is in the Democratic senator's legal woes, saying that he has "embarrassed and failed" New Jersey.

Republicans hold a narrow 51-49 edge in the Senate.

Cooking in Texas, Tennessee, Nevada and Arizona.

Democrat Heidi HeitkampMary (Heidi) Kathryn HeitkampFour takeaways from Heitkamp and Cramer's final tense Senate debate Election Countdown: Latest glimpse at fundraising highlights Dem edge | Cook moves Menendez race toss up | Heated Missouri Senate debate | O'Rourke scrambling to win Latino voters | Bloomberg spending big for Dem candidates | DNC talks 2020 debates Biden to campaign for Heitkamp days before North Dakota election MORE's seat in North Dakota is now rated as a New Jersey, Montana, Missouri, Indiana and Florida.