Indian-American Rik Mehta wins GOP primary for New Jersey Senate

Challenging the US Senator Cory Booker, for the first time, an Indian American lawyer based in Morris, New Jersey Rik Mehta has won the senate seat in the US state of New Jersey. A former US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official and a leading Republican contender for the GOP nomination, Mehta will contest in the 2020 presidential race for Democrat Booker’s current seat.  Mehta is a licensed pharmacist, attorney and adjunct law professor and is currently a partner in Licentiam Inc., a firm that streamlines the licensing process for health care professionals. 

Running on the all-important party line in over 17 counties, Mehta will contest next to Donald Trump as the organizational candidate. He had the endorsement of 17 of 21 Republican county organizations including the former Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican. Announcing his party nomination, Mehta said in a YouTube video, “While Cory Booker campaigns around the country for his doomed presidential bid, the New Jersey economy continues to tank and our beautiful towns are becoming destitute.” 

Taking sides in the Republican US Senate primary, Christie said at a live-streamed conference, Dr. Mehta will stand with President Trump to hold China accountable, reopen our country and always stand up for New Jersey in Washington, D.C. 

The republican attacked Booker claiming that the democrat took undue advantage of state’s immigrants as he said, “For too long our state has been failed by socialist politicos like Cory, who continue to build their careers off the backs of our proud immigrant communities — while real New Jerseyans continue to struggle. No more. I spent my life fighting for communities and that’s what I’ll do in Washington.” 

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Booker had won 89 percent votes

Having won the bid with 89 percent of the votes, the African American origin democrat Booker also faces a challenge from former Newark Board of Education member Lawrence Hamm, the co-chairman of Bernie Sanders’ New Jersey campaign. Currently, both the Senate seats in the New Jersey state are held by Democrats, including Senator Robert Menendez, who is the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 

In a televised address, Mehta said, “I am proud to receive Governor Christie’s endorsement of my campaign for US Senate. Chris knows first-hand how to win state-wide elections and it is an honor to have him on our team. I look forward to working with him and together with President Trump to reopen our Country and bring manufacturing jobs back from China.” 

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