No Surprise Here: Newark Mayor Cory Booker Wins Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate seat

Congratulations are in order for Newark Mayor Cory Booker. On Tuesday, the 44-year-old won his parties’ primaries to set up a campaign seeking  to fill the final 15 months of the term of the late U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg. Booker defeated three experienced politicians — U.S. Reps. Rush Holt and Frank Pallone and state Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver — in a Democratic primary that may have been more competitive had the field been less crowded.

The race was a major draw for them partly because of New Jersey’s history of electing only Democrats to the Senate over the past 40 years. Booker ran with the support of New Jersey’s Democratic establishment and celebrities from across the country.

Fancy folk like Oprah Winfrey joined him at a fundraiser, along with Eva Longoria who campaigned with him. After receiving the nomination, he wrote on twitter:

Honored to receive Dem nomination for #NJSen today. This is our victory – thank you. Please continue to run with me … Thanks 2 all who worked/canvassed/called & spread the word 4 our campaign. “If u want to go fast go alone, if u want to go far, go together” “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude” A A Milne (Thanks 2 all who helped)

He will be facing Steve Lonegan in an October special election.

[CBS News]