In yet another episode of Real Politicians of New Jersey, Senator Bob Menendez has filed for re-election as an independent candidate. This move, fittingly dramatic for someone who seems to be collecting scandals like they’re Pokémon cards, comes against the backdrop of his ongoing federal corruption trial. Yes, you heard it right—the man has a knack for multitasking.

Menendez has managed to submit 2,465 signatures to qualify for the ballot, significantly more than the 800 required. If only collecting signatures meant collecting exonerations. The signatures might be valid, but let’s just hope the cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz he allegedly accepted as bribes aren’t stored in the same vault. That's right; the Senator is accused of turning his position into a makeshift pawn shop, apparently accepting everything but Bitcoin.

Menendez’s trial involves some pretty eye-catching allegations, including acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government. I mean, who needs James Bond when you have Bob Menendez? To add some more spice to this already peppery dish, his wife, Nadine, and New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes are co-stars in this courtroom drama. They’ve all pleaded not guilty, presumably because straight faces are hard to maintain in court otherwise.

Deciding that the Democratic primary was so last season, Menendez has opted to run as an independent. New Jersey’s deadline for independent candidates to withdraw from the ballot is August 16, giving us ample time to see whether this independent bid is a bold move or just a desperate gambit to dodge a potentially awkward indictment. Some say he could make the contest more unpredictable, but when hasn't New Jersey politics been a delightful game of political roulette?

While Menendez stakes his future on a court’s decision, Rep. Andy Kim is the frontrunner in the Democratic primary, eagerly watching this political soap opera unfold from the sidelines. Kim might want to not get too comfortable, though; Menendez has a history of surviving political maelstroms and serving three terms as a senator. He’s now gunning for a fourth term—his plot armor is thicker than a New Jersey accent.

The senator insists on his innocence and expects to be exonerated at his trial, a statement that will surely keep us all on the edge of our seats. Given that his Senate Foreign Relations Committee position is part of the bribery allegations, one has to wonder if his defense strategy involves more twists than a daytime TV show.

Meanwhile, not wanting to be left out of the family business, Rep. Rob Menendez, the senator's son, is facing a competitive race in the 8th District. Clearly, politics in the Menendez family is akin to a high-stakes poker game, where accusations and indictments are just part of the ante.

As we watch Senator Menendez’s trial unfold alongside his new campaign, one can't help but admire his relentless optimism. Or is it stubbornness? Nevertheless, it’s clear that this chapter of New Jersey politics is set to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Because if Menendez has proven anything, it's that he knows how to keep an audience captivated, whether it’s a courtroom or the Senate floor.