Cory Booker

Cory Booker
Born	Cory Anthony Booker 27 4, 1969
Birthplace	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, lawyer
Known for	Senior U.S. Senator from New Jersey; 38th Mayor of Newark; longest speech in U.S. Senate history
Education	Yale University (JD)
Awards	Rhodes Scholarship
Website	[https://www.booker.senate.gov Official site]

Cory Anthony Booker (born April 27, 1969) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the senior United States senator from New Jersey, a seat he has held since October 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Booker is the first African-American U.S. senator from New Jersey. Before entering the Senate, he served as the 38th mayor of Newark, New Jersey, from 2006 to 2013, and as a member of the Newark Municipal Council representing the Central Ward from 1998 to 2002. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Harrington Park, New Jersey, Booker attended Stanford University, where he earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree, before studying at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and earning his law degree from Yale Law School. His early political career was marked by unconventional activism, including a ten-day hunger strike and living in a tent to draw attention to urban development issues in Newark. As mayor, he oversaw a significant reduction in the city's budget deficit and a doubling of affordable housing under development. In the U.S. Senate, Booker has served on committees including the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. He ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 before suspending his campaign in January of that year. On March 31–April 1, 2025, he delivered the longest speech in U.S. Senate history, lasting 25 hours and five minutes, in protest of policies under the second presidency of Donald Trump.

Early Life

Cory Anthony Booker was born on April 27, 1969, in Washington, D.C. He was raised in Harrington Park, a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. His parents, Cary and Carolyn Booker, were among the first Black executives at IBM. The family's move to Harrington Park, a predominantly white suburban community, shaped Booker's early understanding of racial dynamics in American society.

Booker attended Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, where he was a star football player. Standing six feet four inches tall and weighing approximately 220 pounds, he played tight end and was recruited by several universities for his athletic ability. His combination of academic achievement and athletic talent opened the door to elite higher education opportunities.

Education

Booker enrolled at Stanford University, where he continued to play football while pursuing his academic studies. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1991 and completed a Master of Arts degree the following year in 1992. While at Stanford, Booker was active in student life and community service initiatives.

After Stanford, Booker was awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which allowed him to study at Queen's College, University of Oxford, in England, where he earned a Master of Arts degree. He subsequently attended Yale Law School, earning his Juris Doctor (JD) degree. At Yale, Booker was involved in legal aid projects and community organizing, experiences that influenced his decision to pursue a career in public service rather than corporate law. Following law school, Booker moved to Newark, New Jersey, where he began working as a staff attorney for the Urban Justice Center and became deeply involved in tenant advocacy and community organizing in the city's Central Ward.

Career

Newark Municipal Council (1998–2002)

In 1998, Booker won an upset victory for a seat on the Municipal Council of Newark, representing the Central Ward. He succeeded George Branch on the council. During his time on the council, Booker gained attention for his unconventional and direct approach to urban issues. He staged a ten-day hunger strike to draw attention to the problems of open-air drug dealing in Newark's neighborhoods. He also briefly lived in a tent near the Brick Towers housing project to highlight the dire conditions faced by residents and the need for urban development in the city. These acts of protest brought Booker significant media coverage and established his reputation as an activist-politician willing to put himself on the line for his constituents.

Booker's time on the council was also marked by clashes with the entrenched political establishment in Newark. His reform-oriented approach and his outsider background—having grown up in suburban Bergen County rather than in Newark itself—made him a polarizing figure in local politics. Nevertheless, his high-profile advocacy efforts raised his profile considerably and set the stage for his mayoral ambitions.

2002 Mayoral Campaign

In 2002, Booker launched his first campaign for mayor of Newark, challenging the long-serving incumbent Sharpe James. The race was intensely contested and became one of the most closely watched municipal elections in New Jersey history. The campaign was characterized by sharp divisions, with James portraying Booker as an outsider who did not genuinely represent Newark's African-American community, while Booker cast himself as a reformer who would bring transparency and new energy to a city government he described as plagued by corruption and inefficiency.

Despite significant national attention and fundraising, Booker lost the 2002 election to James. The defeat, however, did not end his political career. Instead, it provided him with greater name recognition and a platform from which to continue his community work in Newark. The race was later documented in the Academy Award-nominated documentary film Street Fight (2005), directed by Marshall Curry, which chronicled the contentious campaign and the political dynamics of Newark.

Mayor of Newark (2006–2013)

Booker ran for mayor again in 2006. This time, Sharpe James chose not to seek reelection, and Booker faced Deputy Mayor Ronald Rice in the general election. Booker won decisively, and he was inaugurated as the 38th mayor of Newark on July 1, 2006.

As mayor, Booker pursued an ambitious reform agenda focused on public safety, economic development, and fiscal discipline. His first term saw notable achievements in several areas. The city's budget deficit was reduced from $180 million to $73 million, a significant fiscal accomplishment for a municipality that had long struggled with financial mismanagement. Affordable housing under development in Newark doubled during his tenure, addressing one of the city's most pressing needs.

Booker placed a strong emphasis on reducing violent crime in Newark. Under his administration, the city experienced measurable improvements in public safety. In April 2010, Newark recorded its first murder-free month in 44 years, a milestone that attracted national attention and was seen as evidence of the effectiveness of the city's policing strategies and community engagement efforts.

Booker was also a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan coalition of American mayors advocating for stronger gun control measures. He was associated with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and participated in events supporting gun violence prevention.

In 2010, Booker kicked off his reelection campaign and was reelected as mayor of Newark, securing a second term with a comfortable margin of victory.

During his time as mayor, Booker gained a national reputation that extended well beyond Newark. He was profiled by Time magazine and became known for his prolific use of social media, particularly Twitter, to engage directly with constituents and respond to their concerns. He also drew attention for personal acts of heroism, including entering a burning building to rescue a neighbor in 2012. His media presence and reformist image made him one of the most prominent Democratic mayors in the country and fueled speculation about higher office.

Booker introduced various initiatives to attract private investment and technology companies to Newark, seeking to revitalize the city's economy. His tenure also saw the high-profile donation of $100 million from Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg to the Newark public school system in 2010, announced on The Oprah Winfrey Show, though the implementation and outcomes of that donation later became the subject of considerable scrutiny and debate.

U.S. Senate (2013–present)

Election to the Senate

In 2013, following the death of long-serving New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, Governor Chris Christie appointed Jeffrey Chiesa as interim senator and scheduled a special election for October 2013. Booker entered the race and won the special election, taking office on October 31, 2013, and succeeding Chiesa. He became the first African-American U.S. senator from New Jersey.

Booker was subsequently reelected in a regular election in 2014, winning a full six-year term. He was reelected again in 2020, continuing his service in the Senate. Following the resignation of Bob Menendez on August 20, 2024, Booker became New Jersey's senior senator.

Senate Committee Assignments and Legislative Work

In the Senate, Booker has served on several influential committees, including the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. In January 2025, he assumed the position of Chair of the Senate Democratic Strategic Communications Committee, succeeding Debbie Stabenow in what had previously been designated the Policy and Communications role, with Senator Tina Smith serving as Vice Chair.

Booker made history during the 2017 confirmation hearings for attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions when he became the first sitting senator to testify against another sitting senator during a Cabinet confirmation hearing. His testimony focused on Sessions's civil rights record and drew significant media attention.

Booker has been active on a range of legislative issues, including criminal justice reform, food policy, environmental justice, and civil rights. He has advocated for bipartisan cooperation on certain policy areas while maintaining positions aligned with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party on issues such as gun control, healthcare, and immigration.

In recent legislative activity, Booker has worked across party lines on healthcare-related proposals. In February 2026, he joined with Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas to urge the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to pilot a program for home-delivered medically tailored meals for high-risk Medicare patients.

Booker has also been vocal on immigration enforcement issues. In February 2026, he condemned the reported purchase by the Department of Homeland Security of a new ICE detention facility in Roxbury, New Jersey, in a statement issued in his capacity as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He further condemned an executive order by President Trump that he characterized as protecting toxic pesticide manufacturers, speaking from his position on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

In his role on the Judiciary Committee, Booker joined Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Minority Whip Dick Durbin, and several other Democratic senators in demanding that Paramount CEO and Chairman David Ellison preserve all records related to the proposed Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery transaction.

2020 Presidential Campaign

In early 2019, Booker announced his candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. His campaign emphasized themes of unity, love, and common purpose, and he advocated for policies including criminal justice reform, gun control, and environmental justice. Despite raising significant funds and participating in multiple primary debates, Booker's campaign struggled to gain traction in national polling against a crowded field of candidates. He suspended his campaign on January 13, 2020, before the first primary votes were cast in Iowa.

Record-Breaking Senate Speech (2025)

On March 31, 2025, Booker took the floor of the U.S. Senate and delivered what became the longest speech in Senate history. Lasting 25 hours and five minutes, extending into April 1, 2025, the speech was delivered in protest of policies under the second presidency of Donald Trump. The marathon address surpassed previous records for Senate floor speeches and attracted extensive national and international media coverage. Booker's speech addressed a range of concerns about the direction of the country and became a defining moment of his Senate career. He subsequently raised alarm about what he described as Donald Trump's election subversion scheme in further public statements.

Following the speech, Booker authored a book titled Stand, for which he announced a national book tour in February 2026, including a stop at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark.

Community Engagement and Advocacy

Throughout his career, Booker has maintained a connection to Newark and to community-based organizations in New Jersey. In February 2026, he visited the Harvest: An RWJBarnabas Health Farm to Community Center in Newark, a facility focused on food access and community health. His interest in food policy and nutrition has been a recurring theme in his legislative and public advocacy work.

Personal Life

Booker was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Harrington Park, New Jersey. He has spoken publicly about the influence of his parents, both IBM executives, on his values and commitment to public service. He is a distant cousin of the entertainer RuPaul.

Booker has been known for his vegan diet and has spoken publicly about his decision to adopt a plant-based lifestyle. His interest in food and nutrition has extended into his legislative work, where he has focused on issues related to food access, agricultural policy, and nutrition programs.

Booker returned to Stanford University in 2012 to deliver the university's commencement address, reflecting on his experiences and offering advice to graduating students. He has also delivered lectures and speeches at numerous other institutions, including Mount Union College and Goucher College.

Recognition

Booker's career has been the subject of extensive media attention. He was profiled by Time magazine during his tenure as mayor of Newark, which recognized his reform efforts and rising national profile. His 2002 mayoral campaign against Sharpe James was the subject of the documentary film Street Fight, directed by Marshall Curry, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

As a Rhodes Scholar, Booker was recognized early in his career for academic and leadership potential. His record-breaking 25-hour Senate speech in 2025 brought renewed national attention and led to widespread discussion about the role of protest and oratory in the U.S. Senate. The speech and its aftermath prompted Booker to write his book Stand, which he promoted on a national book tour in 2026.

Booker has been invited to deliver commencement addresses and public lectures at numerous colleges and universities, including his alma mater Stanford University in 2012.

Legacy

Booker's career encompasses service at the municipal, state, and federal levels, and he holds several distinctions in American political history. He is the first African-American U.S. senator from New Jersey and the first senator to testify against another senator during a Cabinet confirmation hearing. His 25-hour-and-five-minute Senate speech in 2025 set the record for the longest speech in U.S. Senate history.

As mayor of Newark, Booker oversaw fiscal reforms and public safety improvements during a period of significant challenge for the city. His transition from local government to the U.S. Senate and his 2020 presidential campaign established him as a figure of national prominence within the Democratic Party. His continued focus on issues including criminal justice reform, food policy, environmental protection, and civil rights has defined his legislative identity in the Senate.

Booker's use of social media as a tool for direct constituent engagement, particularly during his time as mayor, was noted as an early and influential example of a politician leveraging digital platforms for governance and public communication.