Although the margins vary, two polls released Monday both showed Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker (D) with the upper-hand ahead of New Jersey’s special U.S. Senate election.
A Rutgers University survey found Booker with a commanding lead over Republican Steve Lonegan among likely Garden State voters, 58 percent to 36 percent.
But that poll differs sharply from a Monmouth University poll, which showed a tightening in the race that’s been reflected in other recent findings. The Monmouth poll found Booker leading Lonegan by only 10 points, 52 percent to 42 percent.
Although he remains the favorite ahead of Wednesday’s special election, Booker has seen his once-massive leads in the polls dwindle in the last month. Lonegan, meanwhile, has endured his own headaches down the stretch, with a senior campaign aide unleashing a lewd rant during an interview last week with TPM. The Lonegan campaign said it plans to fire the staffer.
The PollTracker Average shows Booker currently with about a 16-point lead.
