Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker (D) has been widely viewed as a lock in New Jersey’s special Senate election, but a poll released Tuesday morning indicated that the tea party Republican running against him is making the race interesting.
According to Quinnipiac University’s first survey of likely Garden State voters, Booker claims the support of 53 percent while Republican Steve Lonegan trails with 41 percent support.
Quinnipiac noted that its previous survey of the race last month, which showed Booker with a 25-point advantage, used a broader sample of registered voters and cannot be compared to the latest findings. But polls have overwhelmingly pegged the Democrat as the favorite in the Oct. 16 special election.
A Rutgers-Eagleton poll of likely New Jersey voters conducted earlier this month showed Booker eclipsing 60 percent support and besting Lonegan by more than 30 points.
Nevertheless, the PollTracker Average still shows Booker in a commanding position.
