New Jersey state Senate President Steve Sweeney conceded defeat to Republican challenger and truck driver Edward Durr on Wednesday.
Sweeney, a Democrat representing a district in South Jersey, made the announcement more than a week after the Nov. 2 election. He was holding out, despite being projected to lose by media outlets, until final mail-in ballots were counted on Monday.
TRUCK DRIVER WHO BEAT DEMOCRATIC NEW JERSEY SENATE PRESIDENT APOLOGIZES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
“All votes have been fairly counted and I, of course, accept the results. I want to congratulate Mr. Durr and wish him the best of luck,” Sweeney said. “It has been an honor and privilege to represent them in the state Senate and to serve as the president of the state Senate.”
Durr, who spent $6,000 on his campaign, defeated Sweeney by 2,212 votes, according to election data reported by WPVI. Sweeney has served District 3 of New Jersey since 2002 and has been the president of the state Senate since 2010.
After the election, Durr apologized for his past social media commentary he says came “in the heat of the moment.” Among the posts reported last week was one that said, “Mohammed was a pedophile! Islam is a false religion! Only fools follow Muslim teachings! It is a cult of hate!”
In his concession statement, Sweeney touted some of his accomplishments, such as policies that benefited the disabled community, green energy initiatives in South Jersey, and more. Sweeney also suggested that his defeat was partly the consequence of a “red wave.”
Durr issued his own statement that said his differences with Sweeney were “political, not personal.”
“Now, the hard work begins, the voters have spoken,” he said, according to the New Jersey Globe. “They don’t want Governor Murphy’s vision of making New Jersey the California of the east coast. I give the voters my promise that I will fight the tyranny that is Phil Murphy beginning on day one.”
He also appeared to agree with Sweeney that he was buffeted by a red wave and said he benefited from voters frustrated with the Democratic governor.
The New Jersey governor’s race was closer than many analysts expected.
After President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the state by nearly 16 points in 2020, incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy is projected to beat Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli in the 2021 race by a slim 3-point lead.
The final tally has not been certified yet, and Ciattarelli has still not conceded the race.
New Jersey was not the only state to see a Republican bump — Virginia also saw a significant shift to Republicans in its state elections.
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Democrats in New Jersey are planning to have a vote on a new Senate president this Friday, the New Jersey Globe reported. Nicholas Scutari is expected to be selected to take over the leadership role after Sweeney is out of office on Jan. 11.
