NJ Election: Here Are Cory Bookers Challengers For US Senate – Newark, NJ Patch
NEWARK, NJ — A U.S. Senate post is up for grabs in the 2020 general election this November, which will take place mostly via mail due to the coronavirus pandemic. But will Sen. Cory Booker be able to defend his seat against his Republican, Green Party and independent challengers?
Booker recently emerged victorious in the Democratic Party primary election against fellow Newark resident Lawrence Hamm. He now faces challenges from the following candidates (click names to see their campaign websites):
Booker, the former mayor of Newark, still lives in the city’s central ward, a fact he played up during his bid for president. His run ended in January, when the senator announced there was no longer a path to victory.
The senator said he plans to continue fighting for the ideas he put forth in his presidential platform, which included a sweeping plan to tackle gun violence, progressive reform of the criminal justice system and strengthening reproductive rights and access to abortion.
Recent issues and causes that Booker has supported include the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”), recreational marijuana legalization, combating wealth inequality, investment in water and public infrastructure, and simplifying student financial aid.
Rik Mehta, an attorney and former U.S. Food and Drug Administration official, outlasted several other Republican candidates who either dropped out of the race or were defeated in the primary election.
Mehta, who lives in Chester Township and attended Rutgers University, describes himself as a small business owner and a first-generation American.
According to his campaign website, his platform includes “defending Constitutional rights,” creating an “affordable, accessible putting healthcare system” and “building New Jersey’s economy for the future.” He also says he will advocate to “bring jobs back from China.”
Madelyn Hoffman, the Green Party nominee, previously ran for U.S. Senate in New Jersey in 2018 against Sen. Robert Menendez, garnering more than 25,000 votes.
After Booker announced the end of his presidential campaign, Hoffman said she understands the reason behind his choice. “If anyone knows about the difficulties of competing on a level playing field in the U.S. electoral system, it’s the Green Party,” she asserted.
Hoffman, a staunch environmentalist and Green New Deal advocate, has been a consistent voice for peace efforts, cutting the military budget to reinvest in social services and Medicare For All over the past years. Her campaign takes no PAC contributions from corporations, she says.
Daniel Burke, a self-described LaRouche independent candidate, is running on a platform that includes “ending public bailouts of Wall Street gambling debts,” creating a new national bank, developing fusion power and exploring/colonizing space.
Veronica Fernandez, who is running as an independent, is a New Jersey native who says she’s not a “typical candidate.”
“I am not wealthy or well connected,” Fernandez writes on her campaign website. “I don’t even have a college degree. What I am is a wife, mother, self employed, proud, blue-collar business owner who every day tries to figure it out and it just keeps getting harder.”
She’s running on a platform that includes campaign finance reform, lowering property taxes, supporting Medicare For All and creating a public bank in New Jersey.
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