Curtis Bashaw is an outlier among Republicans: he’s gay , supports abortion rights, and he's proven he doesn't need former President Donald Trump 's endorsement to win an election.
However, those qualities could lend him favor among voters in heavily blue New Jersey who are seeking an alternative to Democratic domination in the state's U.S. Senate race. The seat went to Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) by almost 10 percentage points in 2018.
But that’s not the only reason he could have a chance to become the first gay senator for the GOP. Menendez has now been shunned by his own party for alleged corruption, for which he and his wife are on trial. Menendez has filed to run as an independent, but between him and the Democratic candidate, Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ), Republicans hope they'll split the vote enough to give Bashaw a path to victory.
There’s already evidence Menendez could bring the race closer. An April poll gave Kim a 47%-38% advantage in a head-to-head matchup against Bashaw, but it decreased to 44%-38% with Menendez included.
“Despite all of his legal problems, Menendez still has a base, and if he’s on the ballot, that base is going to come out for him,” Dan Cassino, a professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and the director of the poll, said in a statement .
“[Menendez is] not going to win, but he might be able to make things uncomfortable for Democrats,” he added.
Cassino said he does not think the race will be close enough for Menendez to serve as a "spoiler," but the incumbent's independent candidacy does make the race "a lot more interesting."
Bashaw said he considers this election cycle the best chance for Republicans to flip the seat in decades. And while his abortion position isn’t entirely novel in Republicans running for Senate — Maryland Senate candidate Larry Hogan also supports abortion rights — his sexuality certainly is.
Bashaw is one of the very few gay Republicans running for a congressional seat. Alison Esposito, who ran with former Rep. Lee Zeldin in New York’s 2022 gubernatorial race, is gay and looking to flip Rep. Pat Ryan's (D-NY) seat in New York's 18th Congressional District.
Bashaw is the first openly gay Republican to win a Senate primary victory in New Jersey, according to Garden State Equality, an LGBT rights organization in the state.
Christian Fuscarino, the executive director of Garden State Equality, said the organization recognizes Bashaw's "historic win" as the first openly gay Republican to be a major party nominee for a Senate seat in New Jersey but still has reservations.
“Representation matters, and we recognize the significance of this milestone for the LGBTQ+ community," Fuscarino told the Washington Examiner. "However, it is crucial to acknowledge that representation alone is not enough. Mr. Bashaw's alignment with Donald Trump … stands in stark contrast to the values of Garden State Equality.
"While we celebrate the progress of having an openly gay candidate, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating for policies and leaders who truly support and uplift all LGBTQ+ individuals," he continued. "We will continue to champion candidates who prioritize the well-being of all communities who face discrimination. ... We urge Mr. Bashaw to explore the broader impact of his political alliances."
The former president has yet to endorse Bashaw since his primary victory over Trump-backed Christine Serrano Glassner, the wife of former Trump adviser Michael Glassner. But Bashaw said he wasn't surprised by the move.
"I wasn't daunted by his endorsement of our opponent, because her husband's worked for him for a long time, [he's] expressing loyalty as I would, to an employee," Bashaw told the Washington Examiner in an interview.
After Hogan received Trump’s endorsement earlier this month, Bashaw is the only GOP Senate candidate without the former president's approval. The Washington Examiner did not receive a response from the Trump campaign on the topic, and Bashaw’s campaign confirmed he has not heard anything either.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee declined to comment extensively on Bashaw either.
“We’re keeping a close eye on New Jersey,” NRSC communications director Mike Berg told the Washington Examiner in response to a question about Bashaw’s candidacy.
Bashaw says he's a political outsider, and it appears Trump and other national Republicans have stayed silent on his candidacy.
Bashaw's political origins
Bashaw's husband of 22 years, Will, told him he should run for political office about five or six years ago, and he began exploring the idea prior to the pandemic, which he used to advocate his community's reopening during lockdown. The businessman is known for founding Cape Resorts, a chain of hotels in Cape May, New Jersey, and on Long Island, New York.
What sealed the deal for Bashaw's run was Menendez's October 2023 allegations of attempting to aid Egypt's government. He began exploring the potential to run against the incumbent last fall before launching his race in January. He said he liked the contrast between himself and his opponents, Kim and Menendez.
"It's sort of like a political boss in Menendez, more of a bureaucrat in Andy Kim, and a business guy in Curtis Bashaw," he said. "I'll take that contrast all day long."
But Bashaw first had to fight through a fierce primary with Glassner, in which she had the political backing of conservative heavy-hitters such as Trump, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Ben Carson, and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).
Glassner bought six figures' worth of TV ads to label Bashaw as anti-Trump amid his past donations to Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and other New Jersey Democrats.
Bashaw has also donated to Republicans, sending money to former Gov. Chris Christie's 2024 presidential campaign and over $20,000 toward the GOP's efforts to gain Senate seats. He also donated to former President George W. Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaigns and Rudy Giuliani's 2008 presidential bid.
Winning the primary didn't bring everyone to his side
After Bashaw won the primary, Mark Serrano, Glassner's brother, Mark Serrano didn't halt his attacks, calling Bashaw a "pantywaist" and saying "he will never win in November because MAGA will never vote for him." Glassner refused to endorse Bashaw after her loss.
Bashaw said, however, that the people who worked for Glassner "have jumped in with us" and that he sees momentum gaining.
"You're going to see Republicans more united than we've been in a long, long time," he said.
But Bashaw could face opposition from conservatives within his own party who don't agree with Pride Month, a key time for members of the LGBT community. Bashaw said he thinks "it's great for people to celebrate being proud of who they are" and knows our "organizations get exclusionary accidentally," though he wants to give groups space to disagree with him.
How Bashaw handles fractures on LGBT issues within the party
When asked about the Colorado GOP's recent email that featured a video titled "God Hates Flags" in a clear reference to the homophobic slur, Bashaw said he doesn't expect "100% agreement" on issues in America. If there were, he added, "it might as well be a tyranny."
Bashaw also commented on transgender issues, saying he thinks "it's a difficult thing for women to have biological males competing in female sports," but that "these social issues are raised to a prominence that is exhausting people." The statement reinforces much of Bashaw's seemingly libertarian alignment.
That's not the only thing Bashaw may differ from Republicans on.
He supports abortion rights and families' freedom to decide on abortion, but he also supports the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision that referred abortion decisions to the states, overturning Roe v. Wade.
"I believe that those kinds of personal decisions are best left to families in the sanctity of their home to work through and decide," Bashaw said. That's something he has in common with Kim, his Democratic opponent.
Going head-to-head with Kim
Kim is aware of Bashaw but said he's faced similar opponents before. The Democratic congressman has the largest war chest of the three candidates, with about $4.1 million in cash on hand. Bashaw has $524,000 and Menendez has about $3.5 million.
"I have a particular expertise in beating Republican multi-millionaire, self-funding businesspeople from South Jersey,” Kim told the New Jersey Globe in a telephone interview. “That’s literally all I’ve done in politics when it comes to elections. I’ve only run against Republican multi-millionaire self-funders from South Jersey, and I beat them every single time.
“This one has a different name than the previous ones, but I’ve run against Curtis Bashaw before in these previous races,” Kim said.
Kim will likely be Bashaw's main opponent, as it is unlikely Menendez will garner significant support as an independent candidate. Bashaw is a harsh critic of the New Jersey congressman, saying, "He's never created a job. He's never signed the front side of a paycheck," which Bashaw says he's done for thousands of people.
Bashaw said Kim votes "very far out there," seemingly saying the representative is as far-left as a Progressive Caucus member. While Kim appears to be the favorite in November's election, Bashaw will look to contest the Democrat in the closest Senate race in the state since 2000, if polling is any indication.
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While Bashaw supports abortion rights and is gay, he said he doesn't like labels. He's been asked, "How could you be Republican and gay?" He said he just is.
"Our story's different," Bashaw said. "We're not your run-of-the-mill career politician, and I think that's going to resonate."
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