Recently, Newark Mayor Cory Booker has been all over the news media. The Democrat is mayor in a city that is home to corporate giants such as Prudential Financial and PSEG. The city also boasts a list of cultural venue centers such as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Prudential Center, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, etc. However, it’s not the success or improvement of his city that has allowed him to gain a national reputation. Rather, it has been his consistent personal involvement in people’s lives. For example, he has lived on a “food stamp” budget to illustrate the importance of food insecurity, shoveled the driveway of a constituent based upon their request, rescuing a dog from freezing winter weather, saving a woman from a house fire at his own risk, etc. Therefore, given all of this information, understand that when Cory Booker makes any rumbling about future political ambitions, Washington D.C. and his own constituents listen hard. In December 2012, ABC News reported that Booker is “exploring the possibility” of running for the US Senate rather than Governor. In a letter posted on his website, which ABC was referring to, he said that he will finish his term as mayor and consider running for the senate in 2014. "I look forward to consulting with Senator Lautenberg," Booker, who's African-American, wrote. "During my lifetime, he has been one of New Jersey's most important leaders”. Senator Frank Lautenberg, for his part, issued a statement saying that he is focusing on the tasks at hand, including a "disaster relief bill for New Jersey and addressing America's broken gun laws." "The last several months and weeks have been a painful time for New Jersey and America, and the Senator is working on the tough issues we face," according to a statement from Lautenberg spokesman Caley Gray. "This is not the time for political distractions and the Senator will address politics next year."
Recently, Newark Mayor Cory Booker has been all over the news media. The Democrat is mayor in a city that is home to corporate giants such as Prudential Financial and PSEG. The city also boasts a list of cultural venue centers such as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Prudential Center, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, etc. However, it’s not the success or improvement of his city that has allowed him to gain a national reputation. Rather, it has been his consistent personal involvement in people’s lives. For example, he has lived on a “food stamp” budget to illustrate the importance of food insecurity, shoveled the driveway of a constituent based upon their request, rescuing a dog from freezing winter weather, saving a woman from a house fire at his own risk, etc. Therefore, given all of this information, understand that when Cory Booker makes any rumbling about future political ambitions, Washington D.C. and his own constituents listen hard. In December 2012, ABC News reported that Booker is “exploring the possibility” of running for the US Senate rather than Governor. In a letter posted on his website, which ABC was referring to, he said that he will finish his term as mayor and consider running for the senate in 2014. "I look forward to consulting with Senator Lautenberg," Booker, who's African-American, wrote. "During my lifetime, he has been one of New Jersey's most important leaders”. Senator Frank Lautenberg, for his part, issued a statement saying that he is focusing on the tasks at hand, including a "disaster relief bill for New Jersey and addressing America's broken gun laws." "The last several months and weeks have been a painful time for New Jersey and America, and the Senator is working on the tough issues we face," according to a statement from Lautenberg spokesman Caley Gray. "This is not the time for political distractions and the Senator will address politics next year."