logo

Cory Booker's 'Unbeatable Lead' Due To Closed New Jersey Primaries

image
Created: 08 August, 2013
Updated: 21 November, 2022
2 min read
Credit: Vice.com

Credit: Vice.com

 

A Quinnipiac poll shows Newark Mayor Cory Booker leading the New Jersey Senate race with 54 percent of likely Democratic voters. Booker is well ahead of Republican front-runner Steve Lonegan 54 to 29 percent in a projected general election matchup. The U.S. Senate seat was vacated when Frank Lautenberg, a Democrat, passed away in early June due to complications from pneumonia.

The Quinnipiac poll found:

"Newark Mayor Cory Booker has a seemingly unbeatable lead in next week's Democratic Senate primary in New Jersey... A total of 65 percent of likely Democratic primary voters, including 66 percent of Booker backers, say they definitely will vote for the candidate they have named."

Democratic primary voters are all Booker needs to secure the vacant Senate seat due to New Jersey's closed primary system. According to the New Jersey Secretary of State, in order for a non-affiliated voter to participate in the New Jersey primary he or she needs to affiliate with the party of the candidate they choose.

Unless you are a first time or unaffiliated voter, you have to register with either the Democratic or Republican Party 55 days prior to the primary election. If you are a first time or unaffiliated voter, the 55 day period does not apply, but you are compelled to register with one of the parties to cast a vote.

New Jersey is home to 2.6 million independent voters, which make up 48 percent of the electorate. Democrats are the second largest voting bloc at 32.8 percent and Republicans comprise 19.6 percent of voters.

By declaring themselves independent from a party, independent voters have intentionally and willfully chosen not to affiliate with the GOP or the Democratic Party. Ultimately, 2.6 million independent New Jerseyans would be forced to sacrifice their First Amendment right of disassociation if they wish to participate in a primary system that is designed to insulate partisan candidates from the broader electorate.

Maurice Carroll, the director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute asserted the election has become a formality, saying, "Unless the sky falls, Newark Mayor Cory Booker can start looking for a Washington apartment. He dominates both the Democratic primary and a general election against Steve Lonegan."

IVP Existence Banner

If Booker faced a more formidable primary opponent under an open primary system, the special election might include more than 9 percent of eligible voters and current predictions have voter turnout at a much lower percentage than that. It appears the general election is all but decided when it comes to New Jersey's next senator even though the primary election is next week.

Latest articles

votes
Wyoming Purges Nearly 30% of Its Voters from Registration Rolls
It is not uncommon for a state to clean out its voter rolls every couple of years -- especially to r...
27 March, 2024
-
1 min read
ballot box
The Next Big Win in Better Election Reform Could Come Where Voters Least Expect
Idaho isn't a state that gets much attention when people talk about politics in the US. However, this could change in 2024 if Idahoans for Open Primaries and their allies are successful with their proposed initiative....
21 March, 2024
-
3 min read
Courts
Why Do We Accept Partisanship in Judicial Elections?
The AP headline reads, "Ohio primary: Open seat on state supreme court could flip partisan control." This immediately should raise a red flag for voters, and not because of who may benefit but over a question too often ignored....
19 March, 2024
-
9 min read
Nick Troiano
Virtual Discussion: The Primary Solution with Unite America's Nick Troiano
In the latest virtual discussion from Open Primaries, the group's president, John Opdycke, sat down ...
19 March, 2024
-
1 min read
Sinema
Sinema's Exit Could Be Bad News for Democrats -- Here's Why
To many, the 2024 presidential primary has been like the movie Titanic - overly long and ending in a disaster we all saw coming from the start. After months of campaigning and five televised primary debates, Americans are now faced with a rematch between two candidates polling shows a majority of them didn’t want....
19 March, 2024
-
7 min read