Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker, a Democrat, couldn’t have made it any clearer Thursday: There is no chance of him running for president in 2016, Politico reports.
In response to a question asking if he would rule out a White House run as either president of vice president, Booker said, "Absolutely yes, unequivocally."
Booker said his only focus for the immediate future is to win the special election being held to fill the seat of the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg.
Booker, a prolific fundraiser and rising star in the Democratic Party, is often thought of as a potential presidential candidate.
While a presidential campaign may be in his future, Booker said his work for the residents of the Garden State is all that matters right now.
"I think that people want me to be the next U.S. senator from New Jersey," Booker said. "I would not consider [a presidential run]. At this point, my focus is 100 percent on being the next U.S. senator and doing a great job finishing out the unexpired term of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, and then doing six years [in a full term]. There’s a lot of work to do here in the state of New Jersey and I’m excited about it."
"No presidential, no VP, no," he repeated.
© 2025 Newsmax Finance. All rights reserved.