Voters across New Jersey are deciding whether to give Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker a full term in Washington as he faces a Republican who returned after three decades away from the state.
Booker, the former Newark mayor who won a special election last year after Sen. Frank Lautenberg died in office, is competing Tuesday against former Ronald Reagan speechwriter and think tank policy director Jeff Bell for his first full six-year term. New Jersey polls are open until 8 p.m.
Booker urged New Jerseyans to vote as he cast his ballot. Bell was set to vote later in the day in Leonia.
The race has been Booker's to lose. With celebrity status, flush campaign accounts and the advantage of running in a state that has favored Democrats at the polls in Senate elections, Booker enjoys a clear advantage heading into Election Day. The latest Monmouth University poll showed him leading Bell by 14 points, and Bell himself said late last week expects he's down in the high-single to low-double digits. An October Monmouth University poll showed Booker leading by 15 points.
Despite his advantages, Booker said he is running as if he's "10 points down."
"I've learned never let the polls tell you the outcome of elections," Booker said in an interview last month.
Booker has centered his campaign on his track record in Washington, where he arrived just over a year ago after winning a special election against Republican Steve Lonegan.
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As a first-year freshman, Booker, 45, has struggled to move legislation in the Senate, but has had some success, including the passage of a traumatic brain injury program for veterans as part of a larger VA measure. He also points to grant money he secured for the state and cites as perhaps a key accomplishment of the bipartisan relationships he has forged with Republicans. He has worked with potential Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul on sentencing reform, for example.
"I've laid a foundation to do some bigger things that really have me encouraged," Booker said.
Bell, 70, ran a unique effort, focusing on changing the U.S. monetary system, arguing that the dollar should be backed by gold.
He also differentiated himself from other Republicans across the country on immigration, disagreeing with their characterization that the Senate-passed immigration bill amounted to an amnesty.
"I think that is very upsetting to many Hispanic voters," Bell said. "It's not my definition of amnesty."
The contest for money between the candidates in a year that saw record spending on elections nationally has not been close. In the end, Booker had $2.6 million on hand compared with Bell's $117,000. Unlike in last year's special election, which saw more than $1 million in outside spending, this year's contest saw roughly a quarter of that spending, with much of it going to aid Bell.
Despite the help, Bell said he did not think the spending in his favor would prove decisive.
Bell struggled throughout the race to gain traction. He returned to New Jersey from suburban Virginia after it was clear that another, more familiar Republican wouldn't run. Bell, of Leonia, never sought to downplay his recent residence in Virginia, instead expressing gratitude to New Jersey Republicans who selected him as their nominee. Bell also was the 1978 Republican nominee, defeating Clifford Case in the primary before losing to Bill Bradley in the general election.
"I have never regretted doing it for a minute," Bell said recently. "I'm very grateful to the voters of New Jersey for giving me that (opportunity)."
