Poll: Booker likely to be New Jersey's next U.S. senator

HAMDEN, Conn., Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Newark Mayor Cory Booker appears to be a shoo-in to be New Jersey's next U.S. senator, a Quinnipiac University poll indicated Wednesday.

The survey, which interviewed more than 2,000 New Jersey voters, found Booker had a 37-point lead over U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, his closest Democratic rival in next week's primary.

In the general election, Quinnipiac said Booker was favored 54-29 over the leading Republican candidate, Steve Lonegan.

Among Booker's Democratic challengers, Pallone was preferred by 17 percent of the primary voters, while U.S. Rep. Rush Holt had 15 percent and state Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver 5 percent.

Only 8 percent of voters said they had not made up their minds.

In the Republican primary, the poll said Lonegan was supported by 74 percent of GOP voters, while Alieta Eck had 10 percent. About 13 percent were undecided.

The polling organization said it interviewed 2,042 voters in the state Aug. 1-5. The survey has a 2.2 percentage point margin of error.