N.J. Senate upset: blue-collar truck-driver beats out life-long politician

by mcardinal

Megan Udinski, FISM News

 

The New Jersey state senate experienced an upset of massive proportions in the Nov. 3 elections today when a blue-collar worker, Republican Edward Durr, defeated long-time politician, Democrat Steve Sweeney, who had been serving as the senate president since 2010. 

Sweeney was known for aiding Democratic Governor Phil Murphy by pushing his progressive agenda through the state senate, including a $15 an hour minimum wage and the legalization of recreational marijuana. However, while in office he also fought with Gov. Murphy on certain items, including increased income taxes on the wealthy and opposed legalizing homosexual marriage, but said he believed it was the greatest career mistake he ever made. 

In an interview with Breitbart news, Durr explained his victory by saying:

When somebody’s messing with your family, you’ll do anything.  The governor was messing with people’s families. When you mess with somebody’s job, their livelihood, their home, their children — people just won’t take that.

He attributes restrictive COVID-19 policies along with people being fed up with how they were ignored by the government as the perfect storm that created the opportunity for him to defeat his opponent. 

Durr campaigned by going door-to-door talking with constituents, putting up signs and a promotional video.  The trucker gained notoriety in the past few days for having only spent a $153 on his campaign, but he revealed to CBS 3 News that this was false:

Stop with the $153, please. The $153 was spent prior to the primary. There’s filing dates. It’s just another prime example of the failures of New Jersey government. You guys go in on the New Jersey Elect, and you find $153 filed. Well, that was back in May, June. That shows how behind New Jersey government is on keeping things updated.

He revealed that in fact he had raised about $10,000 and spent about $8,000 on his campaign, which is still far below Sweeney’s $1 million budget. 

On his website, Durr says he believes in God, Second Amendment rights, lower taxes, and seeing the “government return to the hands of the people.” Many people are celebrating this victory as an example of the American dream in progress, and one that has restored political hope.

While he did not specifically confirm what his first action will be once in office, he did comment that it would involve special needs children. He explained that a fellow candidate’s child has Down Syndrome. When students returned to in-person learning, that child had aged out of his program and missed a crucial year of learning. “That issue could have been addressed before the pandemic,” he said. “There should not be an age-out time.” 

FISM has reported on several other November 3 election results that have shocked the Democratic party. You can find that information here. 

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