In a state lengthy attuned to the drumbeat of political corruption — salacious expenses, livid denials, explosive trials — Senator Robert Menendez has usually registered because the quintessential New Jersey politician.

He efficiently prevented expenses in a single case, and after federal prosecutors indicted him in one other, he received off after a mistrial in 2017. “To those that have been digging my political grave,” Mr. Menendez warned then with attribute bravado, “I do know who you might be and I gained’t neglect you.”

Six years later, he’s as soon as once more on the brink, battling for his political life after federal prosecutors in Manhattan unsealed a jarring new indictment on Friday charging the highly effective Democratic senator and his spouse in a garish bribery scheme involving a overseas energy, piles of money and gold bars.

A defiant Mr. Menendez, 69, instantly vowed to clear his title from what he forged as simply extra smears by vengeful prosecutors. A high adviser Mentioned that he would additionally proceed operating for re-election in 2024, when he’s making an attempt to safe a fourth full time period.

However as particulars of the case rapidly unfold by way of Trenton and Washington — together with photos of an allegedly ill-begotten Mercedes-Benz convertible and money bribes hidden in closets — it was clear Mr. Menendez could also be confronting the gravest political problem in a profession that began 49 years in the past within the shadow of New York Metropolis.

By Saturday afternoon, almost each main Democratic determine within the state had referred to as on him to resign, together with the governor, senior members of Congress and influential state and county celebration chairmen. It was a dramatic distinction to 2015, when Democrats largely rallied round Mr. Menendez within the face of his first indictment.

Occasion strategists and elected officers have been already brazenly speculating that a number of of a gaggle of formidable, younger Democrats representing the state in Congress may mount a major Marketing Campaign towards him. Two of them, Representatives Mikie Sherrill and Andy Kim, have been among the many first to name for his ouster.

“The alleged details are so critical that they compromise the flexibility of Senator Menendez to successfully signify the individuals of our state,” mentioned Gov. Philip D. Murphy, a Democrat, who met with key celebration leaders in Newark, N.J., Friday afternoon to coordinate a united entrance.

For now, Mr. Menendez seemed to be on firmer footing amongst his colleagues within the Senate, notably together with Senator Cory Booker, his fellow New Jersey Democrat, who had not commented publicly. They accepted his short-term resignation as chairman of the Overseas Relations Committee, however didn’t ask him to go away workplace.

In a press release, Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the bulk chief, referred to as Mr. Menendez “a devoted public servant” and mentioned that his colleague had “a proper to due course of and a good trial.”

Requires his ouster appeared to solely embolden Mr. Menendez, who spent a part of Friday afternoon making an attempt to rally allies by cellphone. “It isn’t misplaced on me how rapidly some are dashing to guage a Latino and push him out of his seat,” he wrote in a fiery retort to Democrats who broke with him. “I’m not going anyplace.”

The electoral stakes have been excessive, and never only for Mr. Menendez.

Although he had but to formally reply the costs in courtroom, some celebration strategists have been gauging the chance that Mr. Menendez could possibly be scheduled to face trial in the course of the marketing campaign — an unwelcome distraction for Democratic candidates throughout the nation.

Republicans have been already utilizing the indictment to assault the celebration. “Democrats lined for Menendez the primary time he received indicted for corruption,” mentioned Philip Letsou, a spokesman for the Senate Republican marketing campaign committee. “It will be a disgrace in the event that they did so once more.”

Democrats haven’t misplaced a Senate race in New Jersey because the Nineteen Seventies. However permitting Mr. Menendez to remain in workplace may at least drive the celebration to spend closely there at a time when it faces daunting odds of retaining a razor-thin majority. Some celebration officers frightened it may additionally dampen Democrats’ efficiency in aggressive New Jersey legislative races this fall.

“I perceive private loyalty, and I perceive the depths of friendships, however someone must take a stand right here,” mentioned Robert Torricelli, the previous Democratic senator from New Jersey. “This isn’t about him — it’s about holding the bulk.”

Mr. Torricelli speaks from expertise. He retired reasonably than search re-election in 2002 after his personal ethics scandal ended with out expenses. He was additionally broadly believed to be a goal of Mr. Menendez’s ire after the previous senator put his hand as much as succeed Mr. Menendez had he been convicted in 2017.

“Within the historical past of the USA Congress, it’s uncertain there has ever been a corruption allegation of this depth and seriousness,” Mr. Torricelli added. “The diploma of the proof. The gold bars and the tons of of hundreds of {dollars} of money. It’s incomprehensible.”

The main points specified by the 39-page indictment have been nothing in need of tawdry. Prosecutors mentioned that Mr. Menendez had used his place to supply delicate authorities info to Egypt, browbeat the Division of Agriculture and tamper with a prison investigation. In alternate, associates rewarded him with the gold bullion, automotive and money, together with residence mortgage funds and different advantages, they mentioned.

Prosecutors referred to a textual content between an Egyptian basic and an Egyptian American businessman by which Mr. Menendez was known as “our man.” At one level, prosecutors mentioned, the senator searched in an online browser “how a lot is one kilo of gold value.”

Mr. Menendez is removed from the primary elected official in New Jersey to face critical prison allegations. With an extended custom of one-party rule, a bare-knuckle political tradition and an uncommon patchwork of governmental fiefs, the state has been a hotbed for corruption that has felled metropolis councilors, mayors, state legislators and members of Congress.

The Washington Publish tried to quantify the criminality in 2015 and located that New Jersey’s charge of crime per politician simply led every other state.

Mr. Menendez already has a Democratic major opponent, Kyle Jasey, an actual property lender and first-time candidate who referred to as the indictment an “embarrassment for our state.” However political strategists and elected Democrats mentioned Mr. Jasey could not have the lane to himself for lengthy.

New Jersey has a glut of Democratic members of Congress with outsize nationwide profiles; it took barely minutes on Friday for the state’s political class to start speculating about who may step ahead.

Among the many most distinguished have been Ms. Sherrill, 51, and Josh Gottheimer, 48, moderates who have been already mentioned to be taking a look at statewide campaigns for governor in 2025, when Mr. Murphy can not run due to time period limits. Different names included Mr. Kim and Tom Malinowski, a two-term congressman who misplaced his seat final yr.

Nationwide Republicans put their deal with Christine Serrano Glassner, the two-term mayor of a small group roughly 25 miles west of Newark, who rapidly branded her opponent “Gold Bar Bob.”

Mr. Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants, was elected to his first native workplace at age 20. At 28, he donned a bulletproof vest as he testified in a corruption trial towards his former mentor. He gained the mayoralty of Union Metropolis, earlier than transferring onto the State Meeting, the Senate, the Home of Representatives and, in 2006, an appointment to the Senate.

It was solely a matter of months earlier than he was within the sights of the U.S. legal professional’s workplace of New Jersey. The senator was by no means charged, however the investigation turned marketing campaign fodder after the U.S. legal professional, then Chris Christie, issued a subpoena to a group company that paid hire to Mr. Menendez whereas getting profitable federal grants.

Virtually a decade later, federal prosecutors went additional, making Mr. Menendez the primary sitting senator in a era to face federal bribery expenses in 2015. They accused him of exchanging political favors with a rich Florida eye surgeon for luxurious holidays, costly flights and marketing campaign donations.

A jury heard the case two years later and couldn’t attain a verdict; the Justice Division later dropped the prosecution, however the bipartisan Senate Ethics Committee “severely admonished” him for accepting presents whereas selling the surgeon’s pursuits.

Even so, Mr. Menendez handily gained his celebration’s nomination and re-election in 2018.

To longtime analysts of the state politics, although, Friday’s case crossed a brand new threshold.

“Even by New Jersey requirements, this one stands out — how graphic it’s, how uncooked it’s,” mentioned Micah Rasmussen, a seasoned Democratic political hand who now leads Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider College.

“There’s a world of distinction between not reporting a aircraft experience and having half 1,000,000 in tons of stashed round your own home,” Mr. Rasmussen added. “By all rights, this must be the tip of the road.”

Tracey Tully contributed reporting.