Republican state Senator-elect Edward Durr of New Jersey said Thursday night he ran for office because he was “fed up” with high taxes and lockdowns in the state.
New Jersey state Senate President Steve Sweeney, a Democrat, conceded the election Wednesday to Durr.
Appearing on “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” the Fox News host asked Durr what prompted him to run. Durr cited “the high cost of living, worst tax rate, and the nursing home deaths.”
“It just became a combination of everything, and I got fed up with it,” Durr said. Durr shared that rather than leave New Jersey, he decided to “fix the state.”
Carlson responded, noting that Durr has received both praise and scrutiny in the media for having unseated Sweeney. Comments made by Durr on his Twitter account regarding Islam being a “cult of hate” have drawn ire from some people and the media.
Durr admitted he was surprised by the results.
“I knew it was a major thing to beat the senate president. He’d been in there a long time. But everyone else has kind of made it a big deal,” he remarked.
In addition, Durr said that it wasn’t just him who won in New Jersey, giving kudos to fellow candidates Bethanne McCarthy Patrick and Beth Sawyer, among others. McCarthy Patrick and Sawyer also beat their Democratic opponents in the third district in arguable upsets, the New Jersey Globe reported.
In concluding the interview, Carlson asked Durr if he’d spoken with Sweeney since he won the election.
Durr shared that he and Sweeney spoke via phone and Sweeney had congratulated him on his victory.
“I told him if he ever needed anything, to give me a call because I’m his representative now,” Durr said.