A Trump-supporting truck driver who made history in the 2021 election by defeating New Jersey’s longest-serving Senate president, a Democrat, is now running for governor, saying affordability is a “huge issue” facing the state.
“This state is dying because of high housing prices,” Edward Darr told Politico. “People can’t afford to live here” and “people can’t afford to raise their families here.”
Duerr, who served one term in the New Jersey State Senate, is among the Republican candidates seeking governor’s office after winning the 2021 election. On the Democratic side, Duerr is also running against Steve Sweeney, who served as president of the state Senate for 12 years before losing to Duerr in southern New Jersey a few years ago.
“Even if it means I get booted in the next four years, I’m going to do the right thing for the state of New Jersey,” Duerr told Politico, which reported that Duerr is confident he will pursue conservative policies for the state. “I don’t care. I’m going to do the right thing and I’m not going to be controlled by anybody.”
Former New Jersey Senator “Ed the Trucker” runs for governor
Edward Darr, a truck driver from New Jersey, appeared on Fox News during his 2021 state Senate campaign. (Fox News Channel)
Duerr spoke about affordability, telling Politico that New Jersey should lower taxes to attract jobs and businesses.
“We’re losing good businesses. All these warehouses are going up but there’s no manufacturing. We need manufacturing,” he said.
On the issue of abortion, Darr said he believes New Jersey has “moved to an extreme.”
“If you do a poll in this state, I think 70 to 80 percent of people are not in favor of abortion at seven, eight, nine months because they think it’s cruel, so I think it should be curtailed,” he told Politico. “I don’t think residents are going to support abortion on demand when illegal immigrants are coming here and people who are living paycheck to paycheck can’t afford an abortion, so it just seems out of place.”
Flashback: Truck driver famous for ousting longtime New Jersey Democrat loses election for second term
New York Democratic Sen. Jerry Nadler (second from left) and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (center) pose for a photo holding up a check sign for the Hudson Tunnel project after a press conference in New York on July 8. Darr is running for governor of New Jersey after Governor Murphy leaves office. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Darr also said he would “like to see more people in this state who believe in the Second Amendment” and that he would “absolutely” seek former President Trump’s endorsement, but that even if he doesn’t, “it doesn’t change my mind that I’m still going to run.”
“Our state was really good when I was growing up. My dad was able to provide for our family of six. I think it would be great if we could come back here and raise our families and stay here instead of leaving,” he told Politico.
“I’m not a millionaire, so I have to make ends meet,” Dar said of being a truck driver.
Then-New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney greets former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie prior to being sworn in for his second term at the War Memorial in Trenton, New Jersey, on January 21, 2014. (Jeff Zelevanski/Getty Images)
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“I’m going to keep working until I have a million dollars in the bank account so I don’t have to work,” he added. “I love driving. I’ve always enjoyed it. That’s why I’ve been doing it for 30 years.”
