NJ Spotlight News
Former Republican running mates battle in South Jersey
Clip: 6/6/2023 | 4m 30sVideo has Closed Captions
Sen. Ed Durr, who has GOP backing, faces Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer in 3rd District
Incumbent Republican Sen. Ed Durr is banking on his brand as “Ed the Trucker,” the regular guy who stunned everybody a couple of years ago by beating then-Senate President Steve Sweeney, a Democrat, in the 3rd Legislative District. Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer is trying to unseat Durr, her former running mate.
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NJ Spotlight News is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS
NJ Spotlight News
Former Republican running mates battle in South Jersey
Clip: 6/6/2023 | 4m 30sVideo has Closed Captions
Incumbent Republican Sen. Ed Durr is banking on his brand as “Ed the Trucker,” the regular guy who stunned everybody a couple of years ago by beating then-Senate President Steve Sweeney, a Democrat, in the 3rd Legislative District. Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer is trying to unseat Durr, her former running mate.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipToday is also primary election day in New Jersey.
State Senate races top of the ballot, along with the entire legislature.
Voters are choosing the Democratic and Republican nominees for November's general election.
But on the assembly side, there's just contested races in ten districts and only nine on the Senate side.
Out of 40 districts total statewide.
There's also several county and municipal races up for grabs.
Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan has a look at what's at stake.
Guys, get out to vote tonight.
Incumbent Republican Senator Ed Durr greeted constituents at the Swedesboro Diner in Gloucester County, asking for their votes in this snoozer of a primary.
Durr's banking on his brand.
Ed, the trucker, the regular guy who stunned everybody a couple of years ago by beating an icon, Senate President Steve Sweeney.
Voters do remember that.
That Ed Durr guy.
He's a truck driver right.
I'll probably vote for him because he's probably for the people.
I guess it has become my brand because when right after the election of 21, they you know, they started labeling me, Ed the trucker.
And so we ran with it.
Ed, the trucker should have ended the day we got sworn in on January 11th and it should have been Ed the senator.
What are you going to do?
What how are you going to deliver to South Jersey.
Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer's trying to unseat her former running mate, even though both check a lot of the same conservative boxes.
Both candidates have posted videos showing loyalty to former president and primary candidate Donald Trump.
Both support parental rights and Second Amendment rights.
Neither champions abortion rights.
I'm the true conservative.
It's clear as day I've had the NRA support an endorsement.
I'm the one who consistently fights against the abortion bills while she abstains.
So, no, I think there's a clear choice of who's the real conservative.
He attracts a lot of the extreme and I attract everyone, you know.
And I think that that's a compliment to me.
I'm here to listen to you.
I'm here to be your voice.
And that resonates with lots of voters.
If this was a general election, I would win by a landslide, hands down.
In an election year where 13% of Jersey primaries are uncontested, the Durr-Sawyer contest gets headlines.
Durr's now his party's candidate, Sawyer, sees herself as the rogue, the candidate who can beat Democrat John Burzichelli in November.
He's unopposed in the primary.
What will play better with voters here?
I get the argument that she's making.
I think it's the only argument that she can make.
But you're kind of urging Republican primary voters to reject one of their heroes.
Ed is going to be hard to beat.
He is the red meat for Republican primary voters in South Jersey.
He is their cup of tea.
Not that every South Jersey voter appreciates extremes.
Former Republican Dave Madden actually switched his party affiliation, but he sees the trend.
It's really hard, I think, to find any person who's like in the middle to find a home, either in the Republican or the Democratic Party, because you've got these you know, these factions on both sides that have just really drawn people away from the center.
With no state or national race topping the ballot.
Turnout's expected to be very low seven to 10% even in this contest.
Durr's refused to criticize or debate.
Sawyer and Republican leaders have mostly held their punches as well.
To avoid inflicting collateral political damage.
The state party chairman complimented both candidates.
He's really worked hard to govern and help to constituents service at the same time.
Beth has been a very effective assemblywoman who has worked very hard.
And Republicans have good candidates and good solutions.
And we're going to work hard to win in November.
The third legislative districts, mostly Gloucester County, with chunks of Salem and Cumberland.
It's got 11,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans.But it's been trending red.
The question is how many Republicans will turn out to actually vote in this appetizer of a primary?
In Swedesboro I'm Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.
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