Cory A. Booker, the charismatic and popular mayor of Newark, N.J., won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday with 60 percent of the vote, besting his closest challenger, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., the New York Times reports.
Booker is favored to win the general election in October in the heavily Democratic state, which has not elected a Republican in nearly 40 years, the Times reports.
With 98 percent of the vote counted, Mr. Booker had won nearly 60 percent of the vote, far more than his nearest challenger, Representative Frank Pallone Jr., who had about 20 percent of the vote. Representative Rush D. Holt trailed with about 17 percent and the State Assembly speaker, Sheila Y. Oliver, had less than 5 percent.
Mr. Booker gave a victory speech to more than 300 supporters gathered at Championship Plaza in Newark that looked ahead to the general election. "Make me your senator, New Jersey," he said, "and I will be unwavering in my focus on finding common ground. I will not be concerned with right or left but going forward."
Read more at the New York Times.