In Virginia on Tuesday, Republican Glenn Youngkin upset the heavy favorite, Democrat Terry McAuliffe, to end the Democrats’ 12-year stranglehold on the governor’s office.
Additionally in Virginia, GOP voters elected the first black woman lieutenant governor and Hispanic attorney general in the state’s history.
In New York, Republicans enjoyed their best election night since 2016, and in some cases the best showing in 15 years, while in George Floyd Central, Minneapolis, voters rejected a dissolve-the-police referendum by a 57-43 margin.
But by far, the most impressive GOP triumph was claimed by Edward Durr.
Durr is from southern New Jersey, and a delivery-truck driver for a furniture store. He is also a Republican who once ran for office but was never elected.
Until now.
On Wednesday night, the trucker apparently knocked out state Senate President Steve Sweeney, a powerful Democrat who had been in the legislature since 2004 and boss of the Senate for more than a decade, longer than anyone in New Jersey history.
And according to media reports, Durr had spent $153 – yes, just $153 – on his campaign. He didn’t even have a campaign website.
But he toppled a Jersey political giant.
Durr was not officially declared the winner on Wednesday, although it’s unclear why.
According to the Associated Press, Durr held a 2,229-vote lead after all 159 precincts in the district reported 100 percent of the overall results. Even the Philadelphia Inquirer noted, “This [lead] was with all expected votes in from all reporting precincts.”
Yet the Republican State Leadership Committee, which works to elect GOP candidates locally, claimed victory for Durr on Wednesday night. And other media treated Durr as if he was the next senator from New Jersey’s 3rd District.
In an interview with NJ.com on Wednesday afternoon, Durr said, “I joked with people and I said, ‘I’m going to shock the world, I’m going to beat this man.'”
“I was saying it, but really kind of joking. Because what chance did a person like me really stand against this man? He’s literally the second-most powerful person in the state of New Jersey.”
Durr added, “I don’t know if I truly am fearless or stupid. Because who in their right mind would take on a person with that kind of power and clout? But his power, his clout, did not scare me.”
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