It’s official Newark Mayor Cory Booker, 44, has entered the race to fill the open U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Democrat Frank Lautenberg who passed away on June 3, 2013 from complications of viral pneumonia. Lautenberg announced in February his plans to retire and Booker has been raising money ever since. During the March reporting period, he raised $1.9 million.
Fellow Democrats Reps. Frank Pallone, 61, and Rush Holt, 64, are also planning to enter the Democratic primary. Pallone’s pockets are deep; he has a reported $3.7 million in his campaign coffers. Holt has $800,000.
Party primaries will be held on August 13 and a special election is scheduled for October 16.
