U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) cruised past Republican challenger Dick Zimmer tonight, winning a record fifth term in office, exit polling projects.

The voting booths have just closed, and the votes are yet to be counted, but based on the exit polls, the Associated Press called the race as the polls closed at 8 p.m.

Lautenberg was set to greet supporters at the Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick, where they gathered to cheer on Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as well as Lautenberg and other New Jersey Democrats.

Lautenberg faced a surprise primary challenge of his own from U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1st Dist.), 50, who hoped his youth, South Jersey power base and alliances with key Democratic party leaders in the north would win him the nomination. But with the party line and the backing of Gov. Jon Corzine and every New Jersey Democrat in Congress except Andrews, Lautenberg won their battle with more than 60 percent of the vote.

Lautenberg retired in 2000 after four terms, but came out of retirement in 2002 to replace Torricelli on the ballot. He will now return to Washington as the first New Jersey senator to earn a fifth term, likely as part of an expanded Democratic majority in both houses of Congress.

(Source: NJ Star Ledger)