Newark Mayor Cory Booker has been declared the winner in the New Jersey special election to fill the US Senate seat once held by the late Frank Lautenberg. Senator Lautenberg passed away on June 3rd, 2013. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie appointed Republican Jeff Chiesa to fill the seat during the interim period preceding the special election. Booker’s victory will restore the Democrats to a 53-45 majority with Independents Bernie Sanders and Angus King aligning to give the Democrats an effective 55-45 edge in the Senate. With seventy percent of precincts reporting, Booker held a comfortable 56-43 lead over Steve Lonegan.
The Senate race took a nasty turn in the final week with Republicans accusing Cory Booker of not living in New Jersey and candidate Lonegan arguing in a debate that it was unsafe to swim in Newark because of all the bodies of shooting victims floating in the river.Former Vice Presidential Candidate and half term Alaskan Governor?Sarah Palin and Conservative radio talk show host Mark Levin came to New Jersey to stump for Lonegan, but even as they race tightened in the closing weeks, Lonegan could not bring Booker’s lead down under double digits. Now, Steve Lonegan’s fifteen minutes of Tea Party fame has expired, and Cory Booker is headed to serve in the United States Senate.
Edited/Published by: SB
