Having failed to take the Republican candidate challenging New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney seriously, the media is finally getting around to scrutinizing Edward Durr, including his social media history. And they don't like what they've found.
"[B]igoted, misogynistic and derogatory comments" were revealed on his accounts, according to The Washington Post. "Hours after Republican Edward Durr seemingly solidified his stunning election victory over state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, xenophobic and anti-Muslim social media messages have surfaced that were posted from his accounts," NJ.com reported.
Durr, remember, is a commercial truck driver who has never held office. But here's the thing—he had run for a state Assembly seat twice before, though unsuccessfully, and yet no media outlets in the Garden State or nationally believed such a political novice could actually unseat one of the most powerful Democrats in the state. That's a fair assumption to make, considering Durr himself didn't even think he had a chance.
"I joked with people and I said, 'I'm going to shock the world. I'm going to beat this man,'" Durr told NJ Advance Media. "I was saying it, but really kind of joking. Because what chance did a person like me really stand against this man? He's literally the second-most powerful person in the state of New Jersey."
But here we are. Sweeney's out and Durr's in. Will the media learn a lesson?
Durr, for his part, has apologized for his past comments, telling the New Jersey Globe he's 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," he added.
After posts critical of Islam and Mohammed, CAIR-NJ called for a meeting with the newly-elected Republican. Durr met with them on Wednesday and committed to standing "against Islamophobia and all forms of hate, and I commit to that going forward. I look forward to working with the Muslim community."
He also "sincerely apologized" for his comments during the meeting.
