Depending on who you ask, former New Jersey Senate President, Steve Sweeney was either the most powerful politician in New Jersey or second, behind Phil Murphy.
Today, his political career comes to an official end after the twenty-year Senate majority leader conceded defeat to a relatively unknown challenger, truck driver Ed Durr.
Durr ran a shoestring budget and through mid-October only reported spending $153.00 on his campaign. In the end, he spent a total of less than $10,000 to defeat Sweeney who raised $9,000,000 during the campaign.
“The results of the election are in; all votes have been fairly counted; and I, of course, accept the results,” Sweeney said, calling his career in public service ‘an honor and a privilege.
Sweeney lost by 2,200 votes. Due to legislative redistricting, Durr will serve a two-year term in the state Senate. In 2023 and 2027, the term for that seat will be four years each election.