Cory Booker is the Man to Beat in New Jersey Senate Race

A poll from Quinnipiac University finds Booker far ahead of his Democratic rivals. With 53 percent, Booker crushed two congressmen -- Rush Holt and Frank Pallone -- while 23 percent are undecided. Holt takes 10 percent and Pallone garners 9 percent. The poll was taken before New Jersey state Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver jumped in the race.

All of the Democrats have leads over Republican Steve Lonegan but Bookers is far more impressive. Booker routs Lonegan, 52 percent to 27 percent. Pallone is ahead 39 percent to 29 percent while Holt appears the weakest Democrat, beating Lonegan by only36 percent to 31 percent.

"It's Newark Mayor Cory Booker in a runaway in this first look at the special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat held by the late Frank Lautenberg," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, on Monday. "Who are those other guys? The record shows that Congressmen Frank Pallone and Rush Holt are big in their districts, but, statewide, no one knows them.

"Steve Lonegan gets the close-to-one-third Republican vote against any of the other three. He's up there with Pallone and Holt on the anonymity scale," Carroll continued. "Two cautionary notes: Booker has the recognition but does he have -- as the two Democratic congressmen do -- an organization? What effect will state Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver have on our next poll?"

National Republicans often make noise about doing more in New Jersey but they havet carried it in a presidential election since 1988. Theyve had their chances to be sure. Despite being severely outspent, Bob Franks lost to Jon Corzine in the 2000 Senate election by only 3 percent. Still, the only New Jersey Republicans who have held a Senate seat were appointed -- Jeffrey Chisea was appointed last week by Gov. Chris Christie and Nicholas Brady, best known for being Treasury secretary under Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, was appointed for a brief tenure in 1982. This poll offers little hope that a Republican will be able to pick up this seat if, as seems very likely, Booker is the nominee.

The poll of 858 New Jersey voters was taken from June 7-9 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percent. The survey of 306 Democrats had a margin of error of +/- 5.6 percent.