# Cory Booker ## Summary U.S. Senator from New Jersey since 2013. Former Mayor of Newark (2006–2013) and Newark City Council (1998–2002). 2020 presidential primary candidate (withdrew January 2020). Stanford BA/MA, Rhodes Scholar, Yale Law School. Running for a third full Senate term in 2026 — and widely regarded as a 2028 presidential candidate in waiting. ## Senate career - Won 2013 special election to fill Frank Lautenberg's seat - Two full terms (2015–2021, 2021–2027); re-elected 2020 with 57% - Judiciary, Foreign Relations, Small Business, Environment and Public Works committees - **Senate Judiciary ranking member / chair** (depending on majority) — rising influence through the Kavanaugh, Barrett, and Trump-era judicial confirmation fights - Criminal-justice reform co-architect (First Step Act, 2018) - High-profile oratory and media presence ## Political profile - Center-left Democratic establishment - Strong celebrity profile; active on social media - 2028 presidential watch: widely expected to run again given improved name recognition and Judiciary platform ## 2026: running Running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Republican field (Alex Zdan, Richard Tabor, Robert Lebovics, Justin Murphy) contains no credible statewide threat. See [[NJ-Sen-2026]] — a tune-up race ahead of a likely 2028 national campaign. ## Related KB entities - [[NJ-Sen-2026]] — his re-election race ## Sources - [Wikipedia — Cory Booker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cory_Booker)