Well, from gold bars and sweeping indictments to surprising U.S. Senate campaigns, New Jersey had its fair share of big political moments this year.

And it looks like 20, 24 will be equally as significant.

Senior political correspondent David Cruz breaks down the top political stories of 2023 and what New Jerseyans can expect in the new year when 2023 began.

Senator Bob Menendez seemed a shoo in for reelection Democrats big concern was the potential for a red wave in November's legislative elections.

But then on Friday the southern district of New York More charges against me.

And that kind of changed everything with Democrats calling on Menendez to resign and the senator apparently unelectable would be successors emerged quickly.

First, Congressman Andy Kim and then first lady Tammy Murphy putting the Murphy legacy and the county party line on trial.

If everybody can make a run at the county organizations, it's going to be a financed, well known well-liked candidate like Andy Kim.

If anybody can put a dent in him, he can.

Republican strategist Chris Russell knows how important the county line is.

Candidates on the line almost always win.

On paper.

On paper.

Like I said, she's she's going to have, you know, an all out attempt here to hand her all the lines or most of them.

I've said this from the beginning, having been on the other side of the campaign with Andy Kim in 2018 when I worked for Tom MacArthur and they had a very very tough race that Andy end up winning by about a point.

I do not take this guy for granted.

The Kim versus Murphy primary is going to be the most interesting statewide race, according to most experts.

Republicans would need Menendez to be the candidate in order to have a shot at the Senate seat in 2024 add that to the beating they took in the legislative elections and the GOP could see 2024 as a rebuilding year 25.

And the governor's race is where their sights are set.

Russell, who is a Jack Ciattarelli guy, says besides picking a candidates, the state GOP is gonna have to reckon with -- itself.

I think the party will have a decision a decision to make about, you know, where we want to go as a party in this state.

Is it a Ciattarelli GOP or is it Jon Bramnick or someone from the more conservative elements of the party who many still blame for the GOP losses in November?

As for Jersey City Democratic Mayor Steve Fulop, who's been running along until a few weeks ago, he seems unworried about fellow Democrat Steve Sweeney, who's just announced, or Mikie Sherrill or Josh Gottheimer, whose enthusiasm for the race will also be determined in early 24.

Former Senate President Sweeney is in the mix.

There's going to be other candidates, you know, we believe, down the road.

But I don't think really changes changes what Mayor Fulop's going to do.

I think he's going to continue to talk about, you know, how he sees that we can fix some of the big, big issues going on in the state and what kind of solutions he can bring to the table.

I think that some of these House candidates like Josh Gottheimer, like Mikie Sherrill, they've got a big decision to make first, which is are they even running for reelection in 2024 or are they going to try and focus all of their energy on the governor's race?

The thing about these look ahead stories is that when it comes time to look back, you almost always end up saying, wow, I didn't see that coming.

I'm David Cruz.

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