Longtime NJ Senator Concedes To Novice, Trucker With $153 Campaign

NEW JERSEY — One week after Election Day, State Senate President Steve Sweeney has conceded his defeat at the hands of Republican upstart Edward Durr. Speaking during a news conference in the statehouse in Trenton Wednesday afternoon, Sweeney said he would not seek a recount.

“All votes have been fairly counted, and I, of course, accept the results,” Sweeney said during a news conference in the statehouse in Trenton on Wednesday. “I congratulate Mr. Durr, and wish him the best of luck. The people of the third legislative district are the best in New Jersey. It has been an honor and a privilege to represent them in the state senate, and to serve as the president of the state senate. I’ve had the opportunity to work with extraordinary people, and I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish for our legislative district, for South Jersey and for the state.”

He didn't address the process for selecting a new state senate president during his nine-minute speech.

Later Wednesday, Durr reiterated his statement first made on Tuesday that his differences with Sweeney were political, not personal, and that his real target was Gov. Phil Murphy. Read more here: NJ Senator-Elect Durr Fires Back At Gov. Murphy Over Elections

“The voters have spoken. They don’t want a government ruled by a dangerous guy armed with a bunch of executive orders," Durr said during a news conference following Sweeney's announcement, according to The New Jersey Globe. "It angers people that Phil Murphy’s dangerous orders killed 10,000 residents in nursing homes. They don’t want Governor Murphy’s vision of making New Jersey the California of the east coast.”

Durr was also scheduled to meet with leaders of the Muslim community in Washington Township later Wednesday concerning an Islamophobic tweet from 2019, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations in New Jersey (CAIR-NJ).

The Associated Press has projected that Sweeney will lose his seat to Durr, a truck driver who famously spent $153 on his campaign. Sweeney said he would wait for all votes to be counted before he concedes the race.

Sweeney served as New Jersey Senate President since 2010, and has been a member of the New Jersey Senate since 2002.

The latest projection from The Associated Press has Durr defeating Sweeney in the 3rd Legislative District race with 33,662 votes, compared to Sweeney’s 31,450 votes.

The Associated Press is also now projecting that Republicans Beth Sawyer and Bethanne McCarthy Patrick will defeat incumbent Democrats John Burzichelli and Adam Taliaferro for their seats in the General Assembly.

Sawyer has 33,781 votes in the latest projections, followed by Patrick with 33,640. Burzichelli has 30,910 votes, followed by Taliaferro with 30,426.

Sweeney acknowledged a "red wave" that saw 12,000 more voters come to the polls in 2021 than in 2017.

"What voters said in this election is that New Jersey is a state filled with hard-working people who want to be able to provide for their families," Sweeney said. "As leaders, we need to speak to the concerns of all voters. I plan to keep speaking to those concerns. I plan to remain fully involved in public affairs in New Jersey."

Sweeney touted his roots as a union worker who got into politics to help hard-working New Jersey residents. He pointed to his efforts to pass the New Jersey Family Leave Act, preserving the nuclear power plants in Salem County, bringing a wind port to the Delaware Bay, revamping the state's school funding formula, increasing the state's minimum wage, legalizing recreational marijuana and passing bail reform, among other policies.

“New Jerseyans want this to be a place where all residents can afford to live and thrive,” Sweeney said. “I will be speaking from a different podium, but I promise you: I will be just as loud and just as forceful a voice for change.”

Praise For Steve Sweeney

Following his concession speech, the governor, senate colleagues and community leaders praised Sweeney for his time as the longest-serving senate president in the state's history.

“Senate President Steve Sweeney has had an incredible career, one that is incomparable in state history," Murphy said. "He has been a partner in the vast majority of the progress we've made in the last four years, and without him New Jersey would undoubtedly be a worse place for working families. He will remain a friend to me and Tammy, and I wish him nothing but the best as he pivots to the next phase of his career.”

“Senate President Sweeney has been a true partner in some of the most important social justice reforms of our time,” New Jersey NAACP President Richard Smith said. “From bail reform to expungement, the legalization of marijuana, fair housing and efforts to make police departments more diverse, Steve was the driving force in the Legislature. These reforms would not have happened without him. He always valued my input and always respected the perspective of the NAACP and those we represent. His departure from the Senate will be a real loss, but the progress he was so instrumental in achieving will be long lasting.”

“Steve Sweeney was the most consequential Senate President in New Jersey history, and my partner in pushing through a broad array of important and progressive legislation,” Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) said. “Senator Sweeney fought for the restoration of funding for women’s healthcare, the $15 minimum wage, paid family leave, earned sick leave, pay equity, workplace protection against harassment and discrimination, marijuana legalization, bail reform and other social justice issues. He had a unique ability to marshal coalitions of moderates and liberals to get things done, and he and I shared a stubborn willingness to fight for what we believed in, regardless of the political consequences. Neither of us is going away.”

“I am incredibly grateful I had the opportunity to work with Senate President Sweeney, who has not only been an ally but also a friend. He had the confidence to appoint me as Chair of the Education Committee, and later, as a partner on his leadership team,” State Senator M. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) said. “For the last decade he has been a strong voice for our caucus and a tireless advocate, fighting to ensure fair funding for our schools, adequate services for students with disabilities and more than anything equitable opportunities for the children of our state. Together, we have advanced countless pieces of legislation to improve the lives of families in New Jersey which would not have been possible without Senator Sweeney’s steadfast leadership and dedication to serving the residents of this state.”

“For the past several years, New Jersey has been at the forefront of criminal justice reform, which would not have been possible without the support and advocacy of Senate President Steve Sweeney,” State Senator Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson) said. “It has been a privilege to serve on his leadership team and have him in my corner as we fought to ban the box, enact bail reform, improve reentry services and expand expungement. Throughout his tenure, he has undoubtedly helped to make New Jersey a better, more just place to live for everyone who calls it home.”

“Senator Sweeney has a record of responsibility on fiscal issues that is unparalleled among state leaders,” Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) said. “I worked with him to bring fiscal reforms to state finances that have saved money for taxpayers, reduced expenses for state government and made public services more efficient. We put the state’s pension system on firm footing, which will result in long-term benefits for everyone. We also worked effectively to promote economic growth with an emphasis on jobs and expanded opportunities, especially for small businesses, which are vital to communities across the state. Senator Sweeney’s influence and impact will be long lasting.”

“No one has done more for the disability community than Steve Sweeney,” said Thomas Baffuto, Executive Director of The Arc of New Jersey. “I know this was personal to Steve, but he fought for the rights of everyone with a developmental disability, the needs of the families and the ability of organizations and their workers to provide the support they need. He elevated this issue to the forefront of policy makers and the public’s conscience. He even established the Legislative Disability Caucus to ensure that the issues of importance to the disability community are addressed on an ongoing basis. On a personal level, Steve and his daughter Lauren have become personal friends. These are friendships I will always value.”

“Senate President Sweeney has been a strong and conscientious leader not only in our Legislature but across our state,” State Senator Nellie Pou (D-Bergen/Passaic) said. “It has been my privilege to work beside him and to witness firsthand his extreme sensibility in making sure first-class programs and services were made available to residents with disabilities, and for those in need of mental health services. I have also seen his leadership when it came to passage of the Economic Recovery Act, which has gone a long way toward helping to revitalize communities in great need, such as those in my district in the City of Paterson. Steve came to our city, and toured its neighborhoods, walked its streets and saw its vacant properties, all in order to see exactly what was needed to provide these communities with more housing, health care and opportunity. I am going to miss his friendship, and our great working relationship, that includes a mutual respect that’s so important in the work that we do. We might not always have agreed, but I always knew that he respected my opinion and was willing to hear me out. He not only led, he led with sensibility and empathy. To me that is the mark of a true leader.”

“Steve has dedicated the past two decades of his life to representing working men and women in the Legislature,” State Senator Troy Singleton (D-Burlington) said. “In addition, he has been a forceful advocate on behalf individuals who have special needs and for the entire South Jersey region. His unwavering leadership, sharp policy acumen, and willingness to compromise have made his tenure as Senate President one of the most productive. In addition to being my colleague, he has more importantly been my friend for more than 20 years, and I will certainly miss seeing him in the Senate Chamber and at our Caucus table.”

Who Will Take Over The State Senate President Role?

While Sweeney didn't reference the process for selecting a new state senate president, some names have emerged as possible successors. This includes State Senators Nicholas Scutari (D-Linden) and Nia Gill (D-Montclair), according to the New Jersey Globe. The news outlet is also reporting that those elections have been set for Friday.

Black and Latino leaders in New Jersey are calling on the Legislature to select a person of color as the next Senate President. Some activist leaders are saying the senate needs to consider that almost half the population of New Jersey is made up of people of color while considering their next moves at the top.

“As New Jersey and the nation continue to grapple with race, we must be vigilant in our efforts to hold leaders accountable,” Fair Share Housing Director Rev. Eric Dobson said. “Almost half of New Jersey’s residents are people of color. Our legislative leadership must reflect those demographics. We have a white, male Governor and a white, male Assembly Speaker. We must not allow another white male to ascend to Senate President.”

It has been reported that Nicholas Scutari (D-22), who is white, is a leading candidate for the job.

When asked by a reporter about the possibility of another white man ascending to the top of the senate in a state as diverse as New Jersey on Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy said he has a lot of respect for Scutari.

"We are the most diverse state in America," Murphy said. "We should have a state that reflects that in terms of the leadership. We have the most diverse cabinet in our state's history, and that's something that I have a significantly fair amount of control over. I don't control the process of who's the senate president and who's the senate speaker. I've enjoyed a great relationship with both Senate President Sweeney and Speaker Coughlin. I have to separate what I think of these folks as individuals vs. an overall passion for diversity, but I also don't want to imply that I can control a process that is not mine to control."

“We call on our legislators to select a person of color for the Senate President position,” Latino Action President Christian Estevez said. “As New Jersey’s Latino population continues to grow, legislative leadership must also change to reflect the current makeup of our state. We must hold our leaders accountable in making decisions that advance the interests of all New Jerseyans, not just the white residents.”

“While unexpected, the outcome of Tuesday’s election presents an opportunity for people of color in New Jersey,” NAACP New Jersey State Conference President Richard Smith said. “There is lots of work to do to dismantle structural racism and address discrimination in our state, and that work must be led by people of color. Legislators must be honest about the racial makeup of our state and must select a leader that represents the voices and interests of our people.”

Democrats appear to have lost one seat in the State Senate, retaining 24 of the 40 seats, according to NJ.com. They are expected to have between 44 and 48 seats in the General Assembly, down from 52.

See related:

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