The New Jersey Democrat speaker of the house says he’s “found” more ballots that would overturn his loss to a Republican truck driver.
Edward Durr, a Republican, won 52 percent of the vote unseating the entrenched 20-year Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney. Durr spent only $153 on his primary campaign.
But as the Democrat-controlled New Jersey Senate plans to seat the Republican, more ballots have mysteriously appeared.
Sweeney says thousands of “recently found” ballots supports his refusal to concede to to the low budget campaign.
“The results from Tuesday’s election continue to come in, for instance there were 12,000 ballots recently found in one county,” Sweeney said in an email to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “While I am currently trailing in the race, we want to make sure every vote is counted. Our voters deserve that, and we will wait for the final results.”
National media has been quick to support the Democrat’s claims, something they downplayed in the 2020 presidential election.
But New Jersey Democrats say it’s time to move on.
The Associated Press called the race for Republican truck driver and political newcomer, Edward Durr, Thursday morning, with 100% of precincts reporting at 32,742 votes for Durr to 30,444 for Sweeney.
The truck driver’s grassroots campaign included knocking on doors to introduce himself to voters.
“The funny thing is, whenever I went around door-to-door, everybody, the first words out of their mouth was ‘good luck;’ like they knew the political power that was being wielded down here,” Durr said. “We need people who understand the adverse effects of what’s going on in this state.”
Sweeney has been the Senate president since 2010 and has served as a New Jersey senator since 2002.
“I believe in God,” Durr said. “I am hard working, trusting and very loyal. I believe in fiscal responsibility, transparency and lower taxes.
Durr advocated tax reform, saying that taxes, including property taxes, are a big problem in New Jersey. “We have taxed the people to the verge of death,” he said. “Many people have decided to move out of a state they lived in all their life. I feel we must reduce taxes across the board, along with reducing government.”
Durr spent only $153 on his election campaign, including a purchase of Dunkin’ Donuts for his small team. He raised less than $10,000, according to his campaign finance filings. Durr’s entire district in southern New Jersey turned Republican as two Democratic assemblymen also were defeated by Republican women in the November 2 election: Bethanne McCarthy Patrick, a firefighter/EMT, and real estate agent Beth Sawyer, according to unofficial returns for the New Jersey election.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
