Polls, media, and polarization have made New Jersey’s Special Senate Election between Cory Booker and Steve Lonegan a must-watch

This week, New Jersey goes to the polls in a Senate vacancy election. While the Democratic candidate, Cory Booker is ahead, his path to what has been seen as a likely victory has been far from smooth, write Ashley Koning and David Redlawsk. They argue that because of an over-emphasis on individual polls driven by the media, the newly focused critical lens on Booker, the divergent strategies of the candidates, and the national implications of their ideological divide, this non-event has been thrust into centre stage in an otherwise predictable election season.