Robert J. Menendez resigned his seat as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in advance of being sworn in as a congressman from New Jersey’s 8th district.
“It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve on the Board of Commissioners for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey,” Menendez said in a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy. “ I am proud to have represented the interests of New Jersey and our region to the best of my ability during my tenure, working alongside the Port Authority’s incredible and dedicated professional staff.”
Since Congress established the Port Authority as an interstate agency, Menendez could not hold both positions. He had indicated during his House campaign that he would step down from the Port post if he were elected to Congress.
Murphy nominated Menendez to the Port Authority in 2021 and was unanimously confirmed by the State Senate. He chaired the Governance and Ethics Committee and served on the Finance Committee.
Menendez opens two of the six New Jersey seats on the powerful bi-state transportation panel. After nineteen years, labor leader Raymond Pocino retired as a Port Authority Commissioner in September 2021.
The governor has yet to nominate replacements for either seat, but Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage is viewed as a likely contender to serve as a Port Authority commissioner. Union County is the only New Jersey county with a Port Authority facility that is not represented on the Board of Commissioners.
