DEPTFORD TOWNSHIP – Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s U.S. Senate campaign received a boost Wednesday from Democratic officials representing seven southern New Jersey counties.

The state’s top Senate lawmaker, Senate President Steve Sweeney, introduced Booker to the stage in at a catering hall in Deptford Township to announce Booker has the backing of South Jersey Democratic elected officials.

EAST ORANGE - The pair are apparent Democratic Primary antagonists in the U.S. Senate race.

But Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-34) this afternoon shielded Newark Mayor Cory Booker from having to answer a question about whether or not he supports a state Supreme Court appeal to move the U.S. Senate election to occur on the same day as the November general election.

"This issue has been developing in our state capitol for years," said Oliver, standing at a lectern with Booker, state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-18) and Assemblyman Tom Giblin (D-34), referring to her advocacy for a minimum wage hike, which will appear as a referendum question on the November ballot.

NEW BRUNSWICK – New Jersey residents are somewhat less positive than Gov. Chris Christie about the state’s recovery from Superstorm Sandy, according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released Wednesday.

During Memorial Day weekend, Christie graded “conditions on the boardwalk” at the Jersey Shore 8 of 10. Residents, however, say shore recovery stands at 6.4 out of 10, somewhat lower than the 7.0 average they give the rest of the state, the poll found.