The biggest upset in NJ political history — Not the governor’s race (Opinion)

A truck driver from South Jersey may just have beaten the 2nd most powerful man in the state.

In some ways, Senate President Steve Sweeney was more powerful than the governor until Murphy took complete control of the state government with his horrendously tyrannical executive orders during the pandemic.

No bills go for a vote even get heard unless the senate president says so, and many times with good bills before him, Sweeney said no.

Enter Ed Durr, a truck driver for the furniture chain Raymour & Flannigan, who spent just $153 of his own money to wage a campaign that raised about $10,000 to go up against Sweeney in this Tuesday's election.

No one took him seriously, especially Sweeney who faced a serious challenge a few years ago when he started talking crazy talk, like fiscal responsibility, particularly when it comes to property taxes, the main funder of public schools.

The NJEA wanted to shut him up or at least put a scare into him and funded a candidate to oppose the almighty Sweeney. It was unsuccessful, but Sweeney stopped the crazy talk.

Sweeney and his puppet master Democratic "political boss," whatever that is, George Norcross have been all but silenced under the all-powerful outsider Gov. Phil Murphy. No one saw this coming. The polls predicted a Murphy victory that had him comfortably ahead and seats like Sweeney's seemed secure as well.

Should Ed Durr win that Senate seat when the final count is done, it represents EXACTLY what our founders envisioned when they established a government for the people, by the people and of the people. Citizen representatives serving a short term and representing what people in their community want.

Clearly, the people all over New Jersey want change. A couple of seats may have been picked off here and there, but this was a bullseye right in the heart of the one-party rule that is crushing average New Jersey citizens with high taxes and onerous regulations and insider deals that keep the average taxpayer on the outside looking in.

Not Ed Durr. He is a citizen representative that like so many of us, has had enough!

With 98% of the votes counted, Durr had a lead over Sweeney 32,134 to 30,125. The votes aren't all counted yet, but when they are, Ed Durr becomes the state senator from New Jersey's 3rd legislative district replacing Steve Sweeney before he could serve his seventh term.

Mr. Durr has three kids, six grandchildren and the admiration and respect of long-suffering taxpayers in New Jersey like me and you. Go Ed!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis Malloy's own.