Bon Jovi Helps Cory Booker Make Last-Minute Fundraising Goal

RED BANK, NJ — A little more than a week ago, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker was almost out of the 2020 presidential race, saying he had not raised enough money to qualify for the upcoming November Democratic debate.

But now it appears Booker has been saved — in part by Jersey Shore rocker Jon Bon Jovi, who sent out a mass email last week on Booker's behalf. By Monday morning, Booker announced he had reached the donor threshold to qualify for the November debate, raising nearly $1.8 million a day before the filing deadline. Like all the Democratic candidates, Booker had until Oct. 1 to raise $1.7 million to qualify.

But Booker still lags behind Democratic frontrunners like Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, NJ.com reports.

Here is the text of Bon Jovi's email, sent to all Booker supporters on his email mailing list:

“To put it simply, I think Cory Booker is a great man who would do an amazing job in the White House. I’m lucky to call him a friend, and all of us would be lucky to call him our president. We’re deeply divided in a way we haven’t been in a long time. I believe we need to respond with a strong call for unity and a renewed sense of shared purpose. I can’t think of anyone better than Cory Booker to rise to the challenge. He is the right leader for this moment.”

Bon Jovi used to live in the swanky Navesink section of Middletown, until he put his $20-million mansion up for sale in July. The property is called "High Point Estate" and Bon Jovi used to hold fundraisers there for presidential candidates such as Al Gore and Barack Obama.

He still owns and operates the restaurant Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, which aims to feed the homeless and the needy. Diners choose to pay what they like for meals, and they can also pay by working in the restaurant.

Bon Jovi was born in Sayreville.

Related: Jon Bon Jovi Puts Middletown Mansion Up For Sale