Trucker With $153 Campaign Unseats NJ Senate President

WEST DEPTFORD, NJ — Political outsider Edward Durr has now officially unseated New Jersey State Senate President Steve Sweeney, The Associated Press projects.

The Associated Press declared Durr the winner in New Jersey's 3rd Legislative District late Thursday morning. Durr, a Republican, had 32,742 votes. Sweeney, a Democrat, had 30,444. The Associated Press called the race at 11:10 a.m.

However, Sweeney said he is waiting for all votes to be counted before conceding defeat.

“The results from Tuesday’s election continue to come in, for instance there were 12,000 ballots recently found in one county," Sweeney said in a prepared statement. "While I am currently trailing in the race, we want to make sure every vote is counted. Our voters deserve that, and we will wait for the final results.”

It wasn't clear what the circumstances were surrounding the "found ballots" or what county Sweeney was referring to. It also isn't clear how many outstanding vote-by-mail or provisional ballots remain to be counted.

The race for the two General Assembly seats in the district still has yet to be called. As of Thursday morning, Republicans Beth Sawyer and Bethanne McCarthy Patrick maintained their leads over Democratic incumbents John Burzichelli and Adam Taliaferro. Read more here: Senate President Sweeney Trails Challenger: Unofficial Results

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With Sweeney's loss, there will be a new Senate president in New Jersey for the first time since 2010. Sweeney had been serving the district, which encompasses Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem counties, since 2002.

"I didn’t beat him. We beat him," Durr told Fox News. "The state of New Jersey, the people of New Jersey beat him. They listened to what I had to say, and I listened to what they had to say, and it’s a repudiation of Governor Murphy.”

Durr, a truck driver who reportedly spent just $153 on his campaign, says even he didn’t think he had a chance to win, but was motivated to do so after he was denied a concealed carry permit, despite having a clean record.

“I kept telling myself and telling people I was going to do it, but in the back of my mind I was like, ‘You know, how am I going to beat the Senate president?” Durr told Politico.

But then came Tuesday night, and the numbers started coming in. Durr had taken a lead, and that lead solidified after the numbers from Salem County came in.

“I was shocked by the numbers they sent me,” Durr told nj.com, adding that he won because he is a voice for the people. “I’m a person who believes in the right to the people. I’m a firm constitutionalist believer, and I believe in people’s rights. When I saw how people were being mistreated or ignored, that angered me to say: ‘I’m going to make my voice heard.’”

In a campaign video, the father of three and grandfather of six said Sweeney sat by and watched as nursing homes were forced to take in nursing home patients, resulting in the deaths of 8,000 seniors.

“He remained silent as Governor Murphy, with his lockdown and mandates forced the closing of over one-third of our small businesses, costing New Jersey families thousands of jobs,” Durr said. “The Senate President has spent 20 years in Trenton,” which Durr said led to higher taxes, rising debt and an increase in cost of living.

Durr, who also opposes abortion, told NBC 10 he will lower property taxes and create a more “friendly business environment."

But he also said he doesn’t know what he’s going to do on Day 1 but told Fox News that was a "key factor. I don’t know what I don’t know, but I will learn what I need to know, and I’m going to guarantee one thing. I will be the voice and people will hear me because if there is one thing people will learn about me, I got a big mouth and I don’t shut up when I want to be heard. I’m going to be heard."