Politics & Government

Holt Graciously Concedes to Booker in U.S. Senate Special Election

Newark Mayor Cory Booker beat out three other Democratic challengers, including Holt.

Written by Greta Cuyler

U.S. Rep. Rush Holt fought hard for a seat in the U.S. Senate in Tuesday's special election, but ultimately Newark Mayor Cory Booker's momentum proved too great. 

“I just spoke with Cory Booker, who is likely to be the next senator from New Jersey, to congratulate him and to tell him I intend to help make that happen in October," said Holt, a former assistant director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory who now represents portions of Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties.

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Holt, a 14-year Congressman, was among four Democrats seeking the party nomination to run for the Senate seat of the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg. Other Democrats vying for the nomination included State Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver and U.S. Rep. Frank Palone (D-6). 

Early mail-in ballots showed Holt in the lead, but as poll results began to come in, Cory Booker began to pull ahead, according to Holt representatives. The Associated Press projected Booker's win at 8:40 p.m., less than an hour after polls closed in New Jersey. 

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Holt praised his Democratic opponents in the race, and thanked his many supporters, volunteers and staff members. 

"The staff worked cheerfully, diligently, and energetically in the face of cynical pundits and pollsters saying we were wasting our time," Holt said. "But it is no waste of time to advocate for opportunity and fairness in our nation.  It is no waste of time to rally thousands and thousands of citizens to express their optimism for each other’s future. It is no waste of time to push our government toward greater opportunity for ordinary people, toward greater fairness across our society, toward greater protection of the natural environment we live in, and toward more peaceful policies around the world.  Far from being a waste of time, it is time well spent, spent in the best, most important way – time spent in the essential process of our country pushing America to be what the ideal of America is:  a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to achieve equality for all…

“Of course it is humbling to come up short in the vote count.  But what is really humbling is the trust, encouragement, and friendship you here and others all around the state and the United States have showered on me in my effort to become your U.S. senator.  I have tried to be worthy of that trust.  The encouragement and friendship have made this campaign worthwhile for me.  And I hope the advancement toward our principles have made it worthwhile to you.”

Holt's District 12 covers portions of Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties. 

His Senate campaign platform included a plan to repeal the PATRIOT Act and the FISA Amendments Act, strengthening education opportunities- especially in STEM- preserving medicare and reinvestment in science and technology, among other issues. 

During his Tuesday night concession speech, Holt took aim at Gov. Chris Christie, whom he said called for the special election before Sen. Frank Lautenberg was eve laid to rest. 

"We had six weeks to do two years worth of work," Holt said. "He (Christie) dealt us a difficult hand."


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