Cory Booker
Senator
Cory Booker is New Jersey’s senior United States Senator. He is known as a leader who stands up no matter how tough the fight, and who uses his unique moral voice to rally Americans to do what is right.
He believes that the American Dream isn’t real for anyone unless it is within reach for everyone, and he has dedicated his life to fighting for those who have been left out, left behind, or left without a voice. Cory’s work in the Senate is guided by his connection to his community in Newark -where he served as a tenant advocate, nonprofit leader, councilman, and as Mayor, and where he still lives today.
Cory grew up in Northern New Jersey and was an All-American football player at Northern Valley Old Tappan High School. He continued his academic and athletic career at Stanford University, where he played varsity football and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. He went on to study at the University of Oxford and Yale Law School, graduating in 1997. During his education, he consistently combined academic excellence with hands-on community service, including providing legal aid to low-income families.
After completing his education, he moved to Newark, New Jersey, where he founded a nonprofit that provided free legal services to low-income residents and helped tenants challenge slumlords.
Newark City Council & Mayor:
In 1998, Cory began his political career in Newark, New Jersey, when he was elected in an upset victory, to the City Council. He gained national attention for moving into Brick Towers, a notorious housing project, and for his hands-on approach to governance. Cory and his wife Alexis now live in Newark’s Central Ward, just down the street from where Brick Towers once stood.
His 2002 campaign for Mayor against an entrenched and politically corrupt incumbent was documented in the Academy Award nominated film Street Fight. Despite losing that race Cory ever stopped fighting for Newark, and in 2006, he was elected Mayor with over 70% of the vote, a position he held until 2013.
As mayor, Cory delivered results: significant drop in crime rates, the greatest economic development boom Newark saw in generations, and vast improvements to city services. He quickly became known for his innovative, effective work on behalf of city residents -from responding to citizens’ concerns about potholes and snow removal on social media to attracting philanthropic investments to usher in new green spaces to the city.
New Jersey’s Senator:
In 2013, Cory Booker was elected to the United States Senate in a special election, becoming New Jersey’s first African American U.S. Senator, and the fourth popularly elected Black senator in U.S. history. He was subsequently reelected to full terms in 2014 and 2020, when he received more votes than any other general election candidate for senate in New Jersey’s history.
In the Senate, Booker has been a champion for Jersey’s working families and for the priorities that matter most to the people of the Garden State -- working to tackle the corruption in Washington and lower costs for people’s everyday expenses.
During his tenure, Senator Booker has brought more dollars back to New Jersey communities than any other Senator in the state’s history. He delivered billions of dollars that helped the state navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, passed legislation to ensure that pandemic era first responders and their families were taken care of, and directly put money back into the pockets of New Jerseyans. Booker’s landmark Baby Bonds legislation was the original inspiration for new government-funded tax bearing accounts for all American children born between 2025-2028, and his proposal will help
thousands of New Jersey families get a head start on planning for their child’s future over the next few years.
Some of Senator Booker’s most notable accomplishments include helping craft the First Step Act, the most sweeping set of bipartisan criminal justice reforms in a generation, which was signed into law in 2018. He has worked to successfully reignite plans for the long stalled Gateway Tunnel Project, expand veterans’ access to healthcare throughout the state, and secure FEMA assistance for New Jerseyans impacted by storms in record-breaking time. He has also emerged as a leader in the movement to reform America’s broken food system, address America’s nutrition crisis, and end food
insecurity.
Senator Booker is one of America’s leading voices in the fight to stand up to Trump. In 2025, he broke the record for longest speech on the Senate Floor, previously held by segregationist Strom Thurman, when he spoke for 25 hours and 4 minutes, shining a light on the harmful policies of the Trump administration. His speech helped inspire people across the country to stand up, take action and meet the greatest moral moment of the time.
In 2025, Cory was selected by his Democratic colleagues to lead the Senate Strategic ommunications Committee to help Senate Democrats more effectively communicate with Americans. Under ory's leadership, Democratic Senators increased engagement on social media by 430 percent and added 20 million new followers across social media platforms, significantly outpacing Republicans.
Senator Booker sits on the Judiciary Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and the Committee on Small Business and entrepreneurship.
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