What We Know:
- Booker was the mayor of Newark, NJ from 2006-2013. He’s known for changing the negative connotation over the city.
- Booker is currently serving as the junior United States Senator from New Jersey since 2013 and a member of the Democratic Party.
- Booker chose the first day of Black History Month to launch his campaign, timing that nods to Booker’s own heritage and suggests he will put it at the center of his pitch to voters.
- Booker joins a crowded and growing Democratic field that is already the most diverse in history — with multiple women, one gay candidate, a Latino and, with Booker now in the mix, two black candidates.
- At 49, he is the youngest among his Senate colleagues in the race. His age is not all that sets him apart: Booker is unmarried and vegan, two unique qualities among the emerging Democratic field.
In his announcement video, Booker also notes that he is “the only senator who goes home to a low-income, inner city community” in Newark, “the first community that took a chance on me.”
This story is developing and will be updated.
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