Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) battles Republican Steve Lonegan at the New Jersey polls today in the special election for Senate.
Booker had a major fundraising lead over his opponent going into Election Day, having outraised him by 8-to-1.
HuffPost reported earlier:
The fundraising total for Booker puts him on par with other top New Jersey politicians, including Gov. Chris Christie (R) and Sen. Bob Menendez (D), and solidifies Booker's celebrity politician status.
Booker is the clear favorite to win Wednesday's vote and has consistently held a double-digit lead in the polls over Lonegan, although that once-massive lead has shrunk to around 10 points.
The Star-Ledger notes that Booker was aided in his fundraising by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, actor Ben Affleck and director Steven Spielberg. A report by the campaign finance watchdog MapLight found that 77 percent of Booker's money came from outside New Jersey.
Independent groups are also spending big to support Booker's candidacy. Independence USA PAC, the super PAC funded entirely by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I), has waded into the race with $732,535 in support for Booker. Mobilization Project, a super PAC funded by Democrats and Republicans on Wall Street, has spent $532,447 for Booker.
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