Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Rush Holt wins Sussex County Democrats' Senate straw poll

Matt Friedman/The Star-Ledger By Matt Friedman/The Star-Ledger

on July 17, 2013 at 9:25 PM, updated July 17, 2013 at 10:39 PM

Rush Holt in NewtonU.S. Rep. Rush Holt participates in a candidate forum, Wednesday, July 17, 2013 at the Hampton Diner in Newton, as he runs for the U.S. Senate. The form was put on by Sussex County Democrats. (Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

NEWTON — U.S. Rep. Rush Holt – an underdog in the Democratic contest for U.S. Senate – won a “straw poll” tonight among Democrats in a deeply Republican corner of New Jersey.

Holt (D-12th Dist.) won the informal, non-binding contest conducted at the end of a candidates’ forum hosted by the Sussex County Democrats. He received 34 votes while Newark Mayor Cory Booker got 19 votes. Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) got 12 votes and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th Dist.) received nine votes.

Of the four candidates, only Holt and Oliver attended the forum. Booker had a campaign event in Camden, while Pallone was on his way back to New Jersey after casting votes in Washington. Both men were represented by surrogates.

The four candidates are running to succeed the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg in an Aug. 13 special primary. The winner will run in the special general election on Oct. 16.

In his speech to the Democrats, Holt started off by contrasting his personality to Booker’s.

“I should admit something up front. I’ve never run into a burning building and I don’t have a million Twitter followers,” he said. “For some people I’m well-known for having beat Watson in Jeopardy! For others it’s the bumper sticker you see around the state that says my congressman is a rocket scientist.”

But Holt said he would like to be known as a teacher, scientist and a “committed progressive.”

“And, I think it must be said, to carry on Frank Lautenberg’s fight. He was a fighter. I’m determined to carry on that fight, for children’s health, for gun safety – for all of the things that we worked on.”

Oliver began by stating the most obvious difference between her and the other three candidates.

“What differentiates me as a candidate for U.S. Senate is I am a woman, and I am the only woman running for U.S. Senate,” she said.

Oliver recalled growing up in Newark and said part of the reason for the gridlock in Washington is because “because the members of the Congress forget from whence they came.”

Booker was represented by Bergen County Freeholder Tracy Zur.

“Mayor Booker’s always been that kind of person who can bring people together and works diligently to effectuate change in peoples’ lives.”

Zur said Booker had led a resurgence of business and development in Newark, including the first new hotels and towers in decades. She said Booker is a “transformative figure” who can get things done in Washington.

“Washington so dysfunctional at this point in time, and I believe he can transcend that,” she said.

Pallone was represented by his chief of staff, Jeff Carroll.

Carroll noted that Pallone played a key role in authoring the new health care law, while taking a swipe at the local congressman, conservative Rep. Scott Garrett (R-5th Dist.). Pallone needed to be in Washington to vote against House Republicans' attempt to repeal Obamacare.

“(Pallone) believes in the power of government. He believes government can make a difference. Unfortunately your congressman… doesn’t believe that,” Carroll said. “He believes it’s an absolute right that you should have health care.”

The results of the straw poll do not mirror scientific poll results. The most recent – a survey of likely Democratic primary voters conducted by Monmouth University – showed Booker leading with 49 percent of the vote to Pallone’s 10 percent, Holt’s 8 percent and Oliver’s 3 percent.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/07/holt_wins_sussex_county_democrats_senate_straw_poll.html

oops .. i thought maybe the 34 - 19 straw could be meaningful, then i arrived at Monmouth University .. shucks .. Holt felt good on the other you posted with Jennifer Armiger Chair, NOW-NJ PAC's research, but looks as Booker has the position booked.