Political Analyst Says Lonegan Needs Low Voter Turnout To Beat Booker
By Mark Abrams
GLASSBORO, N.J. (CBS) - Now that the New Jersey senate primary is over, what can Garden State voters expect in an abbreviated campaign that ends with a special general election in October?
Cory Booker is the Democratic nominee; Steve Lonegan the Republican standard-bearer.
Rowan University political analyst Larry Butler says getting people out to the polls -- or not -- could be the key to victory.
"Turnout for special elections tends to be really low as we saw in the primary," Butler said. "So that's a wild card. If one of the candidates is able to really mobilize their base much better than the other candidate is, then that could really pay off for them."
Butler says Booker starts off with decided advantage because of the strong Democratic voter registration in New Jersey. But he says Lonegan could still use low turnout to his advantage.
"It has more of a potential to work in a low-turnout election, than it would, say, in a general election. So, he has a better chance for this than he would in a normal general election."
This race won't be decided by the pundits, but rather the voters who show up at the polls October 16.
