Former News 12 Reporter Announces Run to Unseat Sen. Cory Booker

Alex Zdan receives endorsement from Passaic County GOP for 2026 Senate bid

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Alex Zdan, a former reporter for News 12, has officially entered the race to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., in the 2026 election. Zdan has received the endorsement of the Passaic County Republican Organization as he seeks to become the first Republican to represent New Jersey in the Senate since 1979.

Why it matters

Booker, a high-profile Democrat, will be defending his Senate seat for the first time since 2020. Zdan's entry into the race sets up a potentially competitive Republican primary, as the GOP looks to flip the seat and end New Jersey's long Democratic Senate tenure.

The details

Zdan, who was laid off from News 12 in 2023, has been a conservative commentator and founded a political action committee called ALFA-PAC that has raised over $33,000 since 2024. He previously ran for the Republican nomination for Senate in 2024, but later endorsed another candidate. Zdan has also considered runs for Congress against Rep. Herb Conaway, D-N.J. 3rd District.

  • Zdan confirmed his Republican primary run for Booker's seat on February 13, 2026.
  • The New Jersey primary election is scheduled for June 2, 2026.
  • The general election for the U.S. Senate seat will be held on November 3, 2026.

The players

Alex Zdan

A former reporter for News 12 who has announced his Republican primary run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Cory Booker.

Cory Booker

The incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey, who will be defending his seat in the 2026 election.

Peter Murphy

The chairman of the Passaic County Republican Organization, which has endorsed Zdan's Senate bid.

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What they’re saying

“Incredibly grateful to the Passaic County GOP for its unanimous endorsement last night. As we begin this run for U.S. Senate, I'm so glad to again have the support of Chairman Peter Murphy.”

— Alex Zdan (X)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

Zdan's entry into the race sets up a potentially competitive Republican primary as the GOP looks to flip the Senate seat and end New Jersey's long Democratic Senate tenure. Booker, a high-profile Democrat, will be defending his seat for the first time since 2020.