U.S. Senate candidates make little impression in N.J.

The special election for a U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey is only about a week away, but a new Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind poll shows many voters don’t know much about the race.

Just 15 percent of registered voters are following the race very closely, said poll director Krista Jenkins, and only a third of voters could identify both Democrat Cory Booker and Republican Steve Lonegan as the candidates.

“What’s likely happening is maybe a little bit of voter fatigue. They just went though the primary and they’re also focused on the gubernatorial race.

“We usually have elections on a Tuesday. This one is happening on a Wednesday,” she said. “It’s three weeks before the gubernatorial.”

Most of the voters surveyed are unaware of the candidates’ views on gun control and the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program.

With all the polls showing Booker having a double-digit lead, Jenkins said it’s hard to predict how many registered voters will turn out for the special election Oct. 16.