 After four years of political campaigning for Democratic candidates around New Jersey , Bradley decided in the summer of 1977 to run for the Senate himself , coinciding with his retirement from the Knicks . He felt his time had been well @-@ spent in " paying his dues " . The seat was held by liberal Republican and four @-@ term incumbent Clifford P. Case . Case lost the primary election to anti @-@ tax conservative Jeffrey Bell , who , like Bradley , was 34 years old as the campaign season began . Bradley won the seat in the general election with about 56 percent of the vote . During the campaign , Yale football player John Spagnola was Bradley 's bodyguard and driver . 
