Republican Truck Driver Dethrones New Jersey Senate President In Upset Victory

While most of the New Jersey buzz focuses on the gubernatorial race between Phil Murphy and Jack Ciattarelli, I want to tell you about a massive upset.

Furniture company truck driver and political newcomer Edward Durr (R) challenged New Jersey political powerhouse Steve Sweeney (D).

Sweeney spent nearly 20 years in the New Jersey Senate and was President of the New Jersey Senate since 2010.

During Sweeney’s political career, Durr spent his days as a commercial truck driver.

But Durr pulled off the David over Goliath victory and unseated the political kingpin.

Durr won by a margin of around 2,000 votes.

Inaccurate media reports tell us Durr spent a whopping $153 during his campaign.

The accurate amount is somewhere around $8,000 to $9,000.

But that’s still pennies compared to his opponent.

Fiscal responsibility = Check

Good ole’ fashioned yard signs, going door-to-door, and dedicated volunteers got the job done.

NEW: Powerful New Jersey lawmaker Steve Sweeney defeated by Republican newcomer Edward Durr, who spent just $153 on his campaign.

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) November 4, 2021

How a truck driver spent $153 on his N.J. election campaign to likely dethrone a political kingpin https://t.co/Cypm4aDnKF pic.twitter.com/mCAuqMyGLI

— njdotcom (@njdotcom) November 3, 2021

Republican truck driver Edward Durr defeated the NJ Senate President last night! He only spent $153 on his campaign.

— John L Steinberger (@steinberger_l) November 3, 2021

Let's elect more truck drivers and fewer lawyers.https://t.co/wQV8oMwA4I

— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) November 4, 2021

Tom is upset because truck driver Edward Durr identified a problem with local government and…ran on fixing that problem.

I would vote for Durr any day of the week over an obese blowhard like Tom who wouldn't be able to eat or wipe his backside were it not for guys like Durr. https://t.co/0hyY3YNA3i

— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) November 4, 2021

The truck driver who spent $153 on his campaign to run as the Republican candidate for New Jersey’s state senate president has won in a shock election win. https://t.co/Bga3vzeHFl

— Andy Ngô 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) November 4, 2021

New Jersey’s longtime state Senate president, Democrat Steve Sweeney, has lost reelection, falling to a Republican newcomer who spent less than $200 on the race. Edward Durr, a furniture company truck driver and political newcomer, defeated Sweeney. https://t.co/qwgD8m6MhH

— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 4, 2021

Check out the election results and Durr’s campaign video below:

I LOVE @edwarddurr1's campaign video! pic.twitter.com/exQmVhvcY8

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) November 3, 2021

Durr shared his thoughts after the shocking victory:

NJ truck driver Edward Durr, just elected as GOP State Senator, when asked what he will do when he gets to Trenton: “I really don’t know. That’s the key factor. I don’t know what I don’t know. So, I will learn what I need to know.” pic.twitter.com/hDDnK7Gj5G

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) November 4, 2021

nj.com shared more info about Durr’s upset victory:

Sweeney, a Democrat, is the longest-tenured Senate president in New Jersey history, having held the post since 2010. He was expected to serve a seventh term in the position before launching a possible bid for governor in 2025.

That was before he was taken on by a no-name challenger in Durr, 58, who has miraculously knocked Sweeney on his heels in a race that was never considered more than an afterthought.

“I joked with people and I said, ‘I’m going to shock the world, I’m going to beat this man,’” Durr said Wednesday afternoon. “I was saying it, but really kind of joking. Because what chance did a person like me really stand against this man? He’s literally the second-most powerful person in the state of New Jersey.”

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Durr, a lifelong New Jersey resident with three kids and six grandchildren, announced his intentions to challenge Sweeney earlier this year to little fanfare. In fact, a link to his campaign website brings up error codes. Most people outside of South Jersey had never even heard of him.

But on the campaign trail, Durr said Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who’s engaged in his own tight race for the governorship with incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, told reporters Durr was the right man to challenge Sweeney because he is “fearless.”

“I don’t know if I truly am fearless or stupid. Because who in their right mind would take on a person with that kind of power and clout?” Durr said, chuckling. “But his power, his clout, did not scare me.”

Durr compared his quest in challenging Sweeney to restoring a rusted, broken down 1964 Mustang that’s sitting on bald tires in his front yard. Like the car, New Jersey had good bones and a strong foundation.

Breitbart described the issues that propelled Durr to victory:

“The main issue was rights,” Durr said, via phone. “People talk about how New Jersey has the highest taxes, and we’re the worst state for business, with high debt, and so on, but bottom line is rights. It’s family.

“When somebody’s messing with your family, you’ll do anything,” he said. “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.”

Durr said that New Jersey’s harsh coronavirus policies had helped create a “perfect storm” that made his victory possible.

“It was the combination of a governor who acts like a king, and a senate president who acts like a court jester, and does nothing. That made it very easy to convince people they were not being paid attention to. And when they got ignored, they got angry.”