2014 NJ Senate debate: on Principles & Values

Jeff Bell: Judeo-Christian values established our government framework

Bell: Strongly Disagree.

Question topic: Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.

Bell: Strongly Agree.

Question topic: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

Bell: I am a devoted Catholic and attend Mass daily.

Murray Sabrin: Judeo-Christian values established our government framework

Sabrin: Strongly Disagree.

Question topic: Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.

Sabrin: Strongly Agree.

Question topic: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

Sabrin: I believe there is a Supreme Being; our "Creator" as outlined in the Declaration of Independence who endowed us with unalienable Rights. I did not grow up in a religious household, yet we celebrated the Jewish holidays as part of our cultural heritage. I deeply believe in several basic principles such as the Golden Rule & the nonaggression principle, which states that no one can initiate force against an innocent human being, and that force is only justifiable to defend your life & property.

Jeff Bell: 1982: ran for Senate; speechwriter for Ronald Reagan

He's not wrong. After winning Tuesday night's four-way Republican primary, Bell, a former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan, will now face Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, the former Newark mayor whose rise to national prominence was in part fueled by his high-volume tweeting. Booker has a whopping 1.47 million followers. Bell has 237.

His lower number isn't surprising--Bell, who is 70 years old, has been out of the game for decades. His last Senate campaign was in 1982, when he lost the Republican primary to former Rep. Millicent Fenwick. Prior to that, he ousted then-Sen. Clifford Case in New Jersey's GOP primary but lost the general election to Bill Bradley.

Jeff Bell: Wife wept upon hearing he would run for Senate

Bell acknowledges that he faces an uphill battle against Booker, in part due to Booker's hefty financial advantage. Booker has $2.9 million in the bank, compared with Bell's $3,976. Still, Bell said, "This was a cause campaign," he said. "So far, at least it's alive."

Jeff Bell: Defeated incumbent Senator in GOP primary in 1978

But on Tuesday, Bell defeated three other Republican challengers, winning 29.5% of the vote. All Bell, 70, has to do now is defeat Democratic incumbent and social media favorite Cory Booker.

Bell welcomes debates with Booker, saying, "I debated Bill Bradley 21 times in 1978, and I think I would be a good debater. I do have that reputation from the past."

Bell won that 1978 Republican Senate primary by defeating a 4-term incumbent, Clifford Case. Bell won the race by 1.5 percentage points, and called the victory "the major shocker to date of this political year." Almost nobody in politics gave Bell a chance to win, including his fellow Republican conservatives.

Cory Booker: First African-American senator from New Jersey

"That's kind of incredible," Booker said. "New Jersey is a special kind of place." Booker said that to New Jersey's credit, race was never an issue in his campaign.

Booker will serve out the remainder of the late Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg's term, which ends in January 2015. Booker will serve on three Senate committees: Commerce, Science and Transportation; Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and Environment and Public Works. Two of his assignments--commerce and environment--also were committee assignments for Lautenberg.