Reportedly all truck driver Edward Durr spent on his NJ state Senate campaign was one hundred and fifty-three dollars — $66.64 to buy food for staff and $86.67 on business cards and paper flyers, as reported by WCAU-TV.
Yet Durr — a 58-year-old GOP members who drives for a furniture store and has never had political office — this Wednesday led powerful DNC state Senate President Steve Sweeney by around 2,000 votes, Politico said.
The news outlet said that Sweeney has led the state Senate for twelve years and is the second most powerful person in the NJ government.
“I have no idea what is going on. I am really trying to grasp it all,” an overwhelmed Durr said to WTXF-TV early this Wednesday morning outside his home. “I knew it would be a huge upset.”
In his first interview after what may turn out to be the biggest upset ever in South Jersey political history, @GOP NJ State Senate candidate Ed Burr says he was told he beat @NJSenatePres Steve Sweeney at 2am then woke up to “well maybe not” @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/6U8UUmIhQB
— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) November 3, 2021
Durr is coming up against Sweeney in the 3rd District, which includes sections of Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties, Politico said, saying that Durr lost his 2019 bid for the Assembly.
“I kept saying to myself and other people that I was going to do this, but in the back of my mind I wondered how am I going to defeat the Senate president?’” he said to the outlet.
But Durr said to Politico that he began thinking he might have a chance as he was with his family in his living room this Tuesday night.
“My daughter was with me,” he recounted. “She laughed and said, ‘Dad, you have tears running down my face.’”
Durr is a lifelong resident of New Jersey with three kids, and NJ.com reported there was “little fanfare” when Durr started his candidacy earlier this year.
Politico said this election featured a high turnout in areas with high blue-collar populations, and they have been pulling the levers for the GOP like mad.
“I have said this before: I’m as blue-collar as you will ever get,” Durr said to WTXF.
He also pointed out the issues he’s seen with the current state leaders.
“You have the issue of unemployment. Kids being masked in school. You have Senator Sweeney attempting to take away people’s medical rights,” Durr said. “I believe the perfect storm was that he stepped right into a pile of it and couldn’t get out. I just found the right issues.”
Author: Scott Dowdy