Cory Booker

It appeared that Republican Justin Murphy would be the GOP's challenger to incumbent U.S. Sen Cory Booker in November's general election.

After 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2 — New Jersey's primary election day — Murphy had been declared the victor in the Republican primary contest by multiple news outlets.

Murphy will challenge U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, an incumbent Democrat.

Booker, the former Newark mayor, did not face any challengers in his Tuesday, June 2 primary. He will be the Democratic nominee as he seeks a third term in the U.S. Senate. Booker was first elected in a special 2013 election and won re-election to full terms in 2014 and 2020.

Murphy had a lead of more than 8,000 votes with 90% tallied as of 11:20 p.m. on Tuesday.

There were four Republicans on the ballot for the June 2 primary, vying for a chance to represent their party in November, Murphy, Richard Tabor, Alex Zdan and Robert Lebovics.

All four struggled to find fundraising opportunities with none of them reaching even $200,000.

Who is Sen. Cory Booker?

Booker, 57, has served in the U.S. Senate since 2013. He serves on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Committee on Foreign Relations; Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and Committee on the Judiciary.

He threw his hat in the ring during the 2020 presidential primary before dropping out to endorse then President Joe Biden. He’s expected to announce intentions for the 2028 presidential race as well though when asked about it at a town hall in Paramus last year he played coy.

“I’m running for re-election in New Jersey. This has been the greatest privilege of my life. I’m not taking anything for granted,” he said before adding that 2028 will “take care of itself” and that while he’s no mathematician “28 comes after 26.”

While it remains to be seen what will happen this fall, history signals that Booker has a leg up. No Republicans have represented the Garden State in the U.S. Senate since the 1970s.