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Newark Mayor Cory Booker greets supporters at NJPAC in Newark after winning the U.S. Senate election tonight.

(John Munson/The Star-Ledger)

NEWARK — It's official: Democrat Cory Booker is set to beat Republican Steve Lonegan tonight to become New Jersey's newest U.S. senator, according to projections by the Associated Press.

The Star-Ledger's political team will provide updates from Booker and Lonegan's election night headquarters below.

10:10 p.m.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM BOOKER'S SPEECH

Booker started by acknowledging the late U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, the man he'll replace in the Senate.

"We are here for everyone," Booker told supporters at NJPAC. "For everyone. So look, I want to start where it is most appropriate. I want to start by taking a moment to really acknowledge why we are here right now tonight. And that's because in June, our great state — the Garden State — lost one of its great champions, Sen. Frank Lautenberg, truly one of the toughest and greatest of our state. He was great because he built not only a great American businessman, but he also served our country with honor and distinction, in war as well as peace, from the U.S. Army to the United States Senate. We are a better state — we are a better nation — because of his station. For me, to even finish his term makes tonight's honor even greater for me personally."

"We've been everywhere from the north to the middle of New Jersey to the south. We are not taking anything for granted," Alvarez said.

7:27 p.m.

A VIEW OF LONEGAN'S PARTY

At the Bridgewater Manor, Lonegan spokesman Will Gattenby said the campaign has received about 250 to 300 reports from around the state in which people are having difficulty voting.

Some people have been denied provisional ballots, and others say they have been told by poll workers they had requested a mail in ballot when they hadn't. There was one report in which a repair man was working on a poll machine while people were voting, he said.

The complaints came mostly from "conservative counties and towns" but also from Camden, he said.

"The trust of the voters is being breached," Gattenby said. "They are trying to vote, but they haven't gotten an opportunity."

Turnout was light earlier in the day, but it's been picking up in the evening, Gattenby said.

He acknowledged that Booker had raised $8 million more than Lonegan, but Gattenby said momentum is on Lonegan's side. The campaign has raised $1 million in the last two months, and the get out the vote effort is strong. "This election has always been about turnout," he said.

At 7 p,m., Gattenby said Lonegan was on his way to the Bridgewater Manor, where a rock band was warming up. The band, Full Throttle, was playing Allman Brothers Band and Sublime tunes in an adjacent room while the ballroom was occupied by the press and a big-flat screen TV playing Fox News.

Two men were seen noshing at the buffet wearing Revolutionary War-era hats.

7:21 p.m.

A VIEW OF BOOKER'S PARTY

The steam tables are emanating the aroma of fried foods, the TV trucks are lining Center St. and aides to Booker are scurrying around the neighborhood of the Robert Treat Hotel in street clothes, garment bags in tow.

Team Booker is anticipating a big night here in Newark, hoping the mayor will soon be propelled to the U.S. Senate.

The Booker tour bus and a slew of media trucks were parked in front of NJPAC in Newark before Cory Booker's election night party.

With polls less than an hour from closing in one of the most unpredictable elections in recent memory, no one knows for certain how the voters will choose or how many there will be but Newark is preparing for a big party.

By 6:30 p.m., reporters ranging from Extra to Al Jazeera filed into the New Jersey Performing Arts Center while stagehands tested microphones.

Local officials said predicting the night's outcome was hard but turnout looked pretty good.

The Booker campaign said they were showing about 1 million voters turned out, possibly more, but those numbers have not been verified.

Essex County Clerk Chris Durkin said mail-in ballots in this county, a somewhat reliable barometer, were favoring Booker 62 percent to Lonegan's 38 percent.

"It looks like it's trending that way for Essex," Durkin said, but added, "This is one of those elections where you just don't know what people are thinking."

7:12 p.m.

WRONG DATE ADVERTISED

A Lonegan supporter has been telling voters online to cast their ballots on the wrong day.

6:55 p.m.

CROWDS BEGIN ARRIVING

Crowds have started to gather at Booker's part at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark and Lonegan's party at the Bridgewater Manor.

Star-Ledger staff writers Matt Friedman, David Giambusso, Brent Johnson, Susan K. Livio, and Salvador Rizzo contributed to this report.

RELATED COVERAGE

• Final stretch: Booker, Lonegan trek across N.J. before today's U.S. Senate election

• Complete coverage of the 2013 special U.S. Senate election







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