Newark, N.J., Mayor Corey Booker is ahead of his challengers in every way for the vacant Senate seat previously held by Frank Lautenberg, who died in June.

With less than a week before the Aug. 13 primary, Booker’s 54 percent among likely Democratic primary voters gives him a wide lead over his other three Democratic primary challengers, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. Rep. Frank Pallone comes in second with 17 percent, Rep. Rush Holt has 15 percent, and Sheila Oliver holds 5 percent, according to the poll results.

And in the general election, Booker would beat Republican challenger Steve Lonegan 54-29, according to the same Quinnipiac poll. The survey of 2,042 New Jersey voters was conducted between Aug. 1 and Aug. 5, and includes 388 likely Democratic primary voters and 257 likely Republican primary voters.

“Unless the sky falls, Newark Mayor Cory Booker can start looking for a Washington apartment,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Booker has been raising and spending more than his challengers too. According to local news website Newark Patch, the mayor has raised $8.6 million in his Senate bid so far. More than $2 million was raised between July 1 and July 24, Newark Patch reported of pre-primary filings with the Federal Election Commission.

That means Booker is raising almost six times as much as Holt, who raised $355,123 during the same period in July, and 11 times Pallone’s $180,000. For the July time period Oliver, state assembly speaker, raised $11,690, according to Newark Patch.

The same website reported that Booker’s campaign has spent some $4.4 million so far, while others have spent far less than that.

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