Edward Durr

Edward R. Durr Jr. (born July 18, 1963) is an American politician and truck driver who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2022 to 2024, representing the 3rd Legislative district. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2021 against incumbent Democratic State Senate President Stephen Sweeney in a major upset. Durr lost re-election in 2023 to Democrat John Burzichelli, a former Assemblyman.

Early life
Durr was born July 18, 1963, and was raised in Gloucester City, New Jersey, where he attended Gloucester City Junior-Senior High School.

2021 State Senate election
Before running for State Senate in 2021, Durr ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly in 2017 and 2019.

Durr ran for New Jersey State Senate as a Republican in 2021. He challenged incumbent Democratic Senate President Stephen Sweeney in New Jersey's 3rd Legislative District. At the time, Sweeney was the longest-serving Senate president in the history of New Jersey. Durr stated that being denied a concealed carry permit despite having a clean record motivated him to run for State Senate. While it was reported that Durr spent only $153 on his campaign, that was the amount he spent in the unopposed Republican primary, not the general election. Over the course of his general campaign, Durr spent approximately $2,300, while Sweeney spent approximately $305,000. Durr's campaign video was taken using a cell phone.

In a massive political upset, Durr defeated Sweeney on Election Day by a margin of 51.7%-48.3%. Durr's defeat of Sweeney made headlines in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today. On Election Day, Durr commented, "It didn't happen because of me. I'm nobody. I'm absolutely nobody. I'm just a simple guy. It was the people. It was a repudiation of the policies that have been forced down their throats". He also mentioned how he often joked that he was going to "shock the world" by winning the election, but later stated that he never truly thought it would happen. Durr was likely helped by the performance of Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli, who carried the district by over 15 points.

Controversial statements
Following his victory, past social media posts made by Durr created controversy. The posts related to topics such as vaccine mandates, the January 6 Capitol attack, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Islam. He apologized for the comments, stating, "I'm a passionate guy and I sometimes say things in the heat of the moment. If I said things in the past that hurt anybody's feelings, I sincerely apologize".

In 2019, Durr tweeted that "Islam is a false religion" and added that "Mohammed was a pedophile!" Muslim advocacy groups called on him to repudiate the tweet. Durr later met with local Muslim leaders and declared his opposition to "Islamophobia and all forms of hate."

2023 State Senate election
In the June 2023 Republican primary, Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer ran against Durr for the 3rd district seat in the Senate. Durr won by a 65-35% margin winning all 38 of the municipalities in the district. His re-election campaign was endorsed by Arkansas U.S. Senator Tom Cotton.

Heading into the 2023 election, Durr's seat was considered one of the most competitive in the election. Durr and his challenger John Burzichelli repeatedly attacked each other during the campaign trail. Durr ultimately lost to Burzichelli following a concerted effort by South Jersey Democrats to unseat him.

Political positions
Durr has advocated for cutting income taxes, corporate taxes, and other state taxes, as well as reducing property taxes. He describes himself as a "constitutional conservative". Durr is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and supports expanding gun rights.

Durr is against abortion, saying that "abortion is wrong and should be stopped" and is a supporter of a six-week abortion ban. Durr has supported bills aimed at restricting access to abortion.

In 2022, Durr introduced a bill that would have barred teachers in kindergarten through sixth grade from engaging in instruction on matters of gender identity and sexual orientation. The bill had no senate cosponsors.

Personal life
Durr lives with his wife Lynn, in the Repaupo section of Logan Township. Durr has three children, Heather, Melissa, and Edward III. He also has six grandchildren. He is a truck driver for Raymour & Flanigan.