NJ's Cory Booker Preps For Senate Election; Candidate Field Grows

NEWARK, NJ — A month after ending his bid for president of the United States, Cory Booker of New Jersey has begun gearing up to defend his U.S. Senate seat in November.

On Thursday, Booker released a link to his senate campaign fundraising page, adding the following message: “My parents always told me, it’s not titles who honor people, it’s people who honor titles… I hope to continue to put in the work to honor the title of United States senator from New Jersey.”

On his campaign site, Booker identifies himself as a “tireless fighter” who is running for re-election to battle for “justice and opportunity for all Americans.”

According to Booker, his campaign “doesn’t accept a dime” from federal lobbyists, corporate PACs, or fossil fuel and pharmaceutical executives.

Booker, the former mayor of Newark, still lives in the city’s central ward, a fact he played up during his bid for president. That bid ended in January when the senator announced there was no longer a path to victory.

“Our campaign has reached the point where we need more money to scale up and continue building a campaign that can win -- money we don't have, and money that is harder to raise because I won't be on the next debate stage,” Booker said, explaining his reason to pull out of the race.

• See related article: Cory Booker Drops Out Of 2020 Presidential Race

The senator said he plans to continue fighting for the ideas he put forth in his presidential platform, which included a sweeping plan to tackle gun violence, progressive reform of the criminal justice system and strengthening reproductive rights and access to abortion.

Booker’s simultaneous runs for president and senate were cleared in 2018 when Gov. Phil Murphy, a fellow Democratic Party member, signed a bill into law that allows a candidate to seek a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives or Senate and president or vice president at the same time.

• See related article: Murphy Signs 6 Bills Into Law, Boosts Booker's Presidential Hopes

Booker is likely to find major support from Democrats in his home state, 52 of whom put on a big display of party unity in support of the senator’s presidential aspirations last February.

Recent issues and causes that Booker has supported include the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), recreational marijuana legalization, combating wealth inequality, investment in water and public infrastructure, and simplifying student financial aid.

• See related article: Cory Booker Takes On 'Foodopoly,' Wants To Halt Big Agro Mergers
• See related article: Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders Support Plan To Cut Drug Costs In US
• See related article: Booker's Marijuana Justice Act Would Make Weed Legal In US

2020 CHALLENGERS

Booker faces challenges from several progressive challengers in 2020.

Last month, Larry Hamm, a self-described "radical" with deep Newark roots, announced he’s running for Booker’s senate seat.

Hamm – a longtime community activist who chairs the People's Organization for Progress (POP) – has been a relentless voice for civil rights since high school, when he spearheaded a student takeover of a local hotel to demand better facilities and an end to a teacher's strike. That display of leadership earned him an appointment to the Newark Board of Education, making him the youngest school board member in the United States at the age of 17.

Among many achievements, Hamm helped to form the POP in 1983, founded the community fuel oil co-op People's Energy Cooperative, and served as the director of the community organization program for the United Church of Christ Commission For Racial Justice.

Hamm has taken progressive stances on issues such as anti-apartheid, education, employment and health care, and has helped lead a decades-long battle against racial profiling.

• See related article: A 'Radical' From Newark Is Challenging Cory Booker In 2020

Booker also faces a challenge from New Jersey Green Party candidate Madelyn Hoffman, who took on Sen. Robert Menendez in 2018 and garnered more than 25,000 votes.

After Booker announced the end of his presidential campaign, Hoffman said she understands the reason behind his choice. "If anyone knows about the difficulties of competing on a level playing field in the U.S. electoral system, it's the Green Party," she asserted.

• See related article: NJ Green Party Candidate To Sen. Booker: Now You Know How We Feel

Hoffman, a staunch environmentalist and Green New Deal advocate, has been a consistent voice for peace efforts, cutting the military budget to reinvest in social services and Medicare For All over the past years. Her campaign takes no PAC contributions from corporations, she says.

On Wednesday, Hoffman offered a summary of her political platform via social media:

“We are committed to social justice, peace, environment, grassroots democracy, education, and single-payer healthcare for all. Social justice because none of us are free until all are free. Peace because endless wars are cruel, exploitative, and a major contributor to environmental contamination. Environment because there is no Planet B. Grassroots Democracy because people in the U.S. deserve more options and we need to empower our young people. Public education and tuition-free college because both prepare all of our children to confront the challenges of today and tomorrow. Healthcare because no one should have to choose between medicine / doctors’ visits and a plate of food on the table.”

Booker’s opponents on the right side of the political spectrum include Hirsh Singh, a New Jersey Institute of Technology graduate and Atlantic City native who has attracted support from the Montclair Republican Club and Somerset County Republican State Committeewoman Janice Fields.

“This campaign will bring together grassroots activists, minorities, the youth, and elected officials, like Janice, who can deliver a new Republican message that pushes back against the socialist onslaught of Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, [Alexandria Ocasio-Corte] and Phil Murphy that has come to dominate New Jersey,” Singh recently said.

Singh has also been a proponent of making New Jersey a "2nd Amendment sanctuary."

• See related article: Montclair Republicans Back Booker Challenger In 2020

According to Ballotpedia, Booker also faces Democratic Party challengers Lisa McCormick and Harsh Naik, as well as Republicans Tricia Flanagan, Navodaya Garepalli, Rik Mehta, Stuart David Meissner, Gary Rich and Natalie Rivera.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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