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Cory Booker Announces Bid for U.S. Senate, Leads in Primary

Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Cory Booker says he will seek the U.S. Senate seat made vacant by Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., who died last week.

Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Cory Booker has officially announced his bid for United States senate. The seat was made vacant by Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., who died last week.
Booker is also far ahead of his opponents in the U.S. Senate Democratic Primary, according to polls released today. He receives 53 percent of the vote, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12) receives 10 percent, and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6) receives 9 percent, according to PolitickerNJ.com

Booker made the announcement at a news conference in Trenton, New Jersey, on Saturday morning. “Democracy is not a spectator sport, but now as much as in any time, we must bring people together. We must actually get into the complicated difficult messy arena and take on the difficult challenges, work in uncommon ways with conviction and courage,” said the candidate. 
Booker has served as mayor of Newark for seven years and has been preparing to take on a higher calling of leadership for at least five years. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has set Oct. 16 as the special election date for the seat.

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(Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

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