WOODBRIDGE — Cory Booker, the celebrity Newark mayor-turned U.S. Senator, has won another six years in the Senate.

Booker, a Democrat who took office just one year ago after winning a special election, tonight defeated his Republican challenger, Jeff Bell.

“I’m looking forward in politics to be someone who represents the best of New Jersey values, the best of our national values. We have too much partisan gridlock in Washington," Booker said in his victory speech. "We need leaders in Washington who learn we get so much further when we reach across the aisle."

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Booker’s win extends Democrats’ winning streak in New Jersey U.S. Senate races to 38 years.

“We need to define ourselves not by how well we tear down each other but by how much we build up America,” Booker said.

Booker, 45, served as Newark mayor for seven years before winning last year's election to replace the late U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.). A high-profile politician before winning the office with deep relationships with Holllywood actors, tech gurus and Wall Street financiers, Booker kept a low profile for the last year as he sought to learn the ropes in the U.S. Senate.

Bell, a 70-year-old Vietnam War veteran, was New Jersey's Republican U.S. Senate nominee in 1978 and ran unsuccessfully for the party's nomination in 1982. In 1983, he moved to northern Virginia, and worked as a political consultant and conservative policy wonk in Washington. Bell moved back to New Jersey in February to challenge Booker.

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Booker’s win extends Democrats’ winning streak in New Jersey U.S. Senate races to 38 years.

Booker was favored to win the race from the beginning. But he ran an aggressive campaign that touted his bipartisan bona fides, including his work with Republican senators on key pieces of legislation. He also criticized Bell, 70, as a conservative from out-of-state who was out-of-touch with New Jersey’s electorate.

But in his victory speech, Booker praised Bell's campaign.

"Whether you agree with him or not, he steadfastly put his energy into serving the country as he believed was right," Booker said. "He is a veteran and served the United States military in Vietnam. And he is somebody that labored in this campaign with honor."

Bell fought back by linking Booker to President Obama, and said Booker's bipartisan claims masked a voting record that was in lock-step with the Democratic Party. But Bell’s main reason for running was to promote the fiscal policy of tying the value of the dollar to gold, an idea that polls showed did not resonate with the state’s voters.

In a short concession speech, Bell said Booker won an "impressive victory."

"I did have a bit of a soft landing by winning a primary, but now I’ve hit ground,” he said. “I really, despite having lost, do not regret for a moment having made the race. I have nothing but the greatest admiration and respect for the people of New Jersey. They were much more willing to listen to my views than I think I expected or that most people expected."

Booker raised and spent about $6 million in the race, according to campaign manager Brendan Gill. Bell had raised $365,000 as of Oct. 15. Booker ran two broadcast television ads, as well as an automated phone call recorded by President Obama, while Bell ran just one commercial on talk radio.

Observers suggested that Booker was looking to run up the margin. Though he beat Republican Steve Lonegan by 11 points in last year’s special election, Democratic Senate candidates often win New Jersey by larger margins.

Booker denied that, saying he was happy with his showing against Lonegan and that he would have been happy with a 5 to 8 point victory against Bell.

Booker’s victory will likely be followed by speculation about his future beyond the U.S. Senate. He’s often touted as a potential vice presidential pick for the Democratic nominee in 2016.

Last year, Booker told reporters he “absolutely… unequivocally” was not interested in running for president or vice president in 2016.

Asked again two weeks ago, Booker said “I’m focused on being New Jersey’s United States senator for the next six years.”

When a reporter pointed out that his statement was a shift in tone from what he said last year, Booker picked up the reporter’s voice recorder and spoke directly into it.

“Absolutely, unequivocally not,” he said.

NJ Advance Media staff writers Susan K. Livio and Erin O'Neill contributed to this report.

Sen Booker retains seat, defeats Bell convincingly 18 Gallery: Sen Booker retains seat, defeats Bell convincingly

Matt Friedman may be reached at mfriedman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattFriedmanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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