Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Cory Booker, making a campaign stop in Princeton Wednesday to raise money and later go on a nighttime run with supporters, labeled his opponent Steve Lonegan “the fringe of the Republi
By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Cory Booker, making a campaign stop in Princeton Wednesday to raise money and later go on a nighttime run with supporters, labeled his opponent Steve Lonegan “the fringe of the Republican Party.”
Mr. Booker, the mayor of Newark, made the remark as he spoke to reporters in Thomas Sweet Ice Cream to buy ice cream for the people who had gone on a 1.5 mile run with him, most of them Princeton University students.
Mr. Booker, ahead in the polls with less than 14 days to go before the Oct.16 special election, has gone on offense against Mr. Lonegan. His campaign put out an ad against the Republican challenger this week, a week in which Mr. Lonegan picked up the endorsement of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
”We’ve been saying this consistently that this is a guy that is the fringe of the Republican Party,” Mr. Booker said. “He’s a self-described tea party guy. And he would make everything that’s wrong with Washington worse.”
The Lonegan campaign did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Mr. Booker sought to cast himself as someone who has crossed party lines to get things done.
”I’m a guy that’s worked with Chris Christie, a guy I disagree with on legions of issues. But we found ways to work together,” he said.
He said there are ways to make better Obamacare, the president’s signature health care law, but before he could offer one, a press aide interrupted to allow Mr. Booker to continue posing for pictures inside the ice cream store.
Earlier, there was a fundraiser for Mr. Booker at the home of Andrew and Carol Golden, a local couple active in Democrat politics. Mr. Golden runs the Princeton University Investment Company, which manages the school’s endowment.
Around 9:30 p.m., he showed up on Palmer Square to go on a run, the 10th time he has done that in different parts of the state during the campaign. In August, he ran through Hamilton.
Among those running Wednesday were Mayor Liz Lempert, Freeholder Andrew Koontz and Mercer County Democratic Party chairwoman Liz Muoio, who was confident in a Booker victory.
”He’s going to win,” said Ms. Muoio, also the Mercer County director of economic development and sustainability.
The special election, called to fill the term of the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg, has tightened recently, although Mr. Booker enjoys a double-digit lead. Mr. Booker is ahead of Mr. Lonegan by 13 points, 53 to 40, among likely voters, according to a Monmouth University poll that came out Tuesday.
”I haven’t been coasting,” said Mr. Booker, who said he has been campaigning around the state.