Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey was born in New York City on January 1, 1954. He earned a B.A. from Saint Peter's College in 1976 and a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law in 1979. Menendez served as mayor of Union City, N.J., from 1986 to 1992, and was a member of the New Jersey state general assembly and senate. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, he served until 2006, when he was appointed to the U.S. Senate. He was reelected in 2006, 2012, and 2018, serving until his resignation on August 20, 2024. Menendez was convicted in 2024 on multiple felony counts and sentenced to 11 years in prison in January 2025.