In a surprising turn of events, New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez has announced that he will not be running for re-election in November, according to a source close to the embattled politician. Despite this decision, Menendez still refuses to hand in his resignation.

Menendez, a three-term Senator, stepped down as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after being indicted on corruption charges in September. Now he faces a total of 18 counts in the Southern District of New York, including charges of lying to federal investigators, obstructing justice, and acting as an unregistered agent of the government of Qatar. These charges are in connection with allegations that he and his wife, Nadine Menendez, accepted bribes in the form of gold bars and cash in exchange for political favors to New Jersey businessmen and the Egyptian government.

The couple has pleaded not guilty to all charges and are scheduled to go on trial in Manhattan in May. However, their legal battle faced a setback as one of the accused businessmen, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty to corruption charges and agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors.

Despite pressure from fellow Democrats and Republicans to resign, Menendez has remained steadfast in his refusal. Last month, a poll released by Farleigh Dickinson University showed that he only had 9% support among New Jersey Democrats in the primary, while his competitors, progressive Rep. Andy Kim and New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy, had 32% and 20% support, respectively. Murphy even won the endorsement of Democrats in Bergen County, the state's largest.

Financial disclosures reveal that Menendez's support has dwindled, as he raised just under $16,000 for his legal defense fund in the last few months, while Murphy received $3.2 million and Kim collected $1.8 million in funding.

Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the first Democrat to call for Menendez's resignation and has been vocal in his demand for Senate action. Other Democrats, including Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, have also called for Menendez to step down but have taken no further action.

The primary race for Menendez's seat has attracted other candidates as well, including political activist Larry Hamm and labor organizer Patricia Campos-Medina.

As the legal battle continues, the future remains uncertain for Senator Menendez. While he may have chosen not to seek re-election, his refusal to resign leaves him in a precarious position. With primary challengers and low support among Democrats, Menendez's political career hangs in the balance.

A spokesperson for Menendez has not yet provided a comment on these recent developments.