Newark Mayor Cory Booker on Wednesday
won a special election to represent New Jersey in the U.S. Senate.
The AP reported that Booker captured 55
percent of the vote to Republican Steve Lonegan's 44 percent.
“Thank you so much, New Jersey, I'm
proud to be your Senator-elect,” Booker tweeted.
In a speech to supporters, Booker said
that he wanted to go to Washington to unify Americans.
“That's why I'm going to Washington –
to take back that sense of pride,” he said. “Not to play shallow
politics that's used to attack and divide but to engage in the kind
of hard, humble service that reaches out to others.”
Throughout the campaign, Lonegan and
his surrogates repeatedly attempted to use Booker's support for gay
rights to question his sexuality. The topic resurfaced last week
when Lonegan fired a staffer after he strongly suggesting that Booker
is gay.
(Related: After
suggesting Cory Booker is gay, Steve Lonegan staffer fired.)
Last October, Booker headlined the
Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) annual National Dinner. In addressing
the estimated 3,000 attendees, Booker said that he was proud of
President Barack Obama's endorsement of gay marriage.
“I'm so proud of my president for all
he has done in this cause,” Booker said.