Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Monday suspended his run for the Democratic presidential nomination, days after failing to qualify for a debate that his campaign had hoped would bolster his campaign’s struggling finances.
Booker follows former candidate Julián Castro, who also left the race this month, leaving the Democratic field with two candidates of color: former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick and Andrew Yang.
“I will carry this fight forward — I just won’t be doing it as a candidate for president this year,” Booker wrote in an email to supporters, leaving room for another campaign in a later election year.
It’s with a full heart that I share this news—I’m suspending my campaign for president.
To my team, supporters, and everyone who gave me a shot—thank you. I am so proud of what we built, and I feel nothing but faith in what we can accomplish together. pic.twitter.com/Fxvc549vlJ
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 13, 2020
The email continued: “Nearly one year ago, I got in the race for president because I believed to my core that the answer to the common pain Americans are feeling right now, the answer to Donald Trump’s hatred and division, is to reignite our spirit of common purpose to take on our biggest challenges and build a more just and fair country for everyone. I’ve always believed that. I still believe that. I’m proud I never compromised my faith in these principles during this campaign to score political points or tear down others.”
Booker came close to dropping out earlier, telling supporters in September that he needed to raise almost $2 million to continue his campaign. But he was able to sustain his run until a few weeks before the February 3 Iowa caucuses.
Booker, a Rhodes Scholar, began his political career as mayor of his hometown, Newark, New Jersey. He was elected to the Senate in 2012, and his campaign told the Washington Post he intends to run for reelection to his Senate seat in 2020. His presidential campaign focused on criminal justice reform and ambitious gun control as well as a message of hope, unity, and equity.
Correction: Due to an editing error, this piece did not mention Andrew Yang as candidates of color in the 2020 Democratic field. Rolling Stone regrets the error and has corrected the story.
