Becomes New Jersey’s First African-American U.S. Senator
In today’s Special U.S. Senate election, Senator-Elect Cory Booker soundly defeated his opponent Steve Lonegan and made history by becoming New Jersey’s first African-American U.S. Senator. This victory reaffirms the fact that New Jersey voters strongly support Cory Booker’s vision for social progress, compromise, raising New Jersey’s minimum wage via Ballot Question #2 this November 5th, and an economy that works for all. At the same time, this election sends a strong message that New Jersey families firmly reject the divisive and regressive thinking of Tea Party politicians like Steve Lonegan.
The Tea Party, which orchestrated the government shutdown in Washington and recklessly brought our country to the brink of default and financial calamity, has proven that they are wholly unfit to hold elective office. We are glad that voters in New Jersey recognized this fact and in turn defeated Tea Party Candidate Steve Lonegan, who would have only exacerbated partisan discord in Washington and emboldened the obstructionist wing of the Republican Party.
In contrast, Cory Booker will bring together New Jersey’s many diverse communities and put forth a constructive agenda focused on building up our state and nation. Booker understands that we must move beyond partisan gridlock so that we can create jobs, uplift working families, and ensure that America remains a leader for social progress and economic opportunity.
Just as New Jersey’s voters said ‘no’ to the Tea Party, the rest of the nation must follow suit. By defeating Tea Party candidates, we can put a stop to their mission to deny millions of people access to health care, to convert Medicare into a voucher program, to privatize Social Security, and to cut financial relief to struggling families. We can also make sure that companies which are making billions in profits while paying their workers starvation wages and shipping jobs overseas are not rewarded with tax breaks and government subsidies. By defeating the Tea Party, we can advance the cause of social justice, rein in the reckless practices on Wall Street, address wage discrimination, raise the federal minimum wage, and make sure our economy works for all families, not just the privileged few.
The combined efforts of union members and community partners made the critical difference in this election and ensured that we elected a leader to the U.S. Senate who shares our values. With the November 5th election quickly approaching, we once again have the chance to vote for the candidates who will stand up for us. Thank you for all of your hard work.