Poll: Booker: 50, next best: 7
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Poll: Booker: 50, next best: 7
WASHINGTON – Another poll, another strong lead for Newark Mayor Cory Booker in the race to replace New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg in 2014.
Booker is the choice of 50 percent of Democrats surveyed in a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released Wednesday morning. Next closest is Congressman Rush Holt – at 7 percent. Congressman Frank Pallone checks in at 4 percent, with 32 percent undecided.
This is consistent with most polls looking ahead to 2014, and while the Senate hopefuls have largely quieted down as Democrats try to focus on the 2013 governor's race, the consistently strong numbers for Booker underscore just how risky it will be for any Congressman hoping to challenge him.
Pallone, Holt or any other House member who wants to run against Booker would have to give up their safe seats for an uphill battle. The big lead for Booker, meanwhile, is sure to attract campaign money and will be a key point as he tries to win over the local political muscle that plays big in Jersey races.
In asking about the primary the poll surveyed 323 Democratic voters; the marging of error is 5.5 percent.
Jonathan Tamari is the Inquirer’s correspondent in Washington, where he follows the Philadelphia area’s interests and representatives. Tamari comes to D.C. after two years as a beat writer reporting on the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL (where, a political source once told him, there are at least rules against hitting below the knees). He previously wrote about politics and government from Trenton, reporting on the characters and color of New Jersey state government.Jersey born and bred, Tamari now lives in the capital city, where he is looking for stories, places to run, soccer bars and good meals.
Reach him at jtamari@phillynews.com.
Follow Jonathan on Twitter: @JonathanTamari.
