N.J. Republicans competing to take on Booker lack funding, name recognition

Four Republicans are running in the June 3 primary in New Jersey to go up against U.S. Sen. Cory Booker in this fall’s general election.

Most voters are not familiar with the Republican candidates — Murray Sabrin, Jeff Bell, Brian Goldberg and Richard Pezzullo, according to Peter Woolley, Fairleigh Dickinson political science professor.

“You haven’t heard too much about them because none of them can really raise a significant amount of money,” he said. ” And they can’t raise money because nobody really believes they can win.”

And that makes it hard to predict the outcome of the Republican primary, said Patrick Murray, Monmouth University Polling Institute director.

“It’s going to be a surprise to, I think, many people what the results are on June 3 because none of us really have any idea what Republican voters think of any of these four candidates,” Murray said.

The Republican candidates have only raised tens of thousands of dollars. Analysts say millions will be needed to be competitive in the general election.