Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has teased he may launch an independent bid for Senate in New Jersey, but a new poll finds he would not dent Democratic hopes of keeping the seat.

A poll from Emerson College/PIX11/Hill found that in a three-way race between Menendez, a Democratic candidate, and a Republican candidate, he would only garner 9%, compared to 49% for a Democrat and 42% for a Republican.

Menendez, who was federally indicted last year but has insisted he is innocent, has an approval rating within the state of 14%, according to the survey, with 62% in the Democratic stronghold saying they disapprove of his job performance.

In September 2023, Menendez was federally indicted on corruption charges, with the charging document accusing him of using his position in the Senate to enrich himself and his wife. Several Republicans and Democrats have called on Menendez to resign, but he has remained in the chamber.

The New Jersey Democrat, who has represented the Garden State in the Senate since 2006, said last month he would not seek the Democratic nomination, after trailing far behind challengers in the polls following the indictment, but left the door open to an independent bid.

“I am hopeful that my exoneration will take place this summer and allow me to pursue my candidacy as an independent Democrat in the general election,” Menendez said in a video released last month.

The poll also showed that Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) leads the Democratic primary field with 51%, with the other candidates polling in single digits, as well as nearly 40% saying they are undecided.

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Kim’s main competitor in the Democratic field, New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy, dropped out of the race last month and said she was trying to avoid a “divisive” contest.

The race has been rated as “safe Democrat” by the CookPoliticalReport and is not expected to be as contested as several other Democratic-held seats in November.