Cory Booker
Bio | Cory Booker is the U.S. Senator from New Jersey and was the first African-American to hold that position for New Jersey. He was formerly the Mayor of Newark; he attended Yale Law School. |
Status and Position | Current US Senator of New Jersey |
Political Party and Jurisdiction | Democrat, New Jersey |
Elections | Election Jurisdiction | Started Campaign | Campaign Status | Poll Rankings (of the vote) |
| 2020 Senate Election New Jersey 1 | New Jersey 1 | Yes | Running | 52.0% |
Campaign Financing | Booker believes there should be less money in politics and would support overturning the Citizens United v FEC Supreme Court case. His campaign is not accepting money from federal lobbyists, corporate PACS, or executives in the pharmaceutical and energy industries. |
Voting Rights | Booker is supportive of a number of measures to strengthen voting rights in the United States. He supports proposals to expand the Voting Rights Act to protect the enfranchisement of marginalized groups and also supports efforts to make Election Day a national holiday, combat political gerrymandering, implement automatic voter registration, and restore voting rights for felons who have finished serving their sentences. |
Opinions on Issues
Issues | Stance | Summary |
| Universal Healthcare | For | Booker has expressed support for several models of universal healthcare. Booker has expressed support for the idea of universal healthcare and supported Medicare-for-All proposals for some time. However, he would also support more moderate proposals to achieve universal healthcare. |
| Socialized Healthcare | For | Booker has expressed support for socialized healthcare programs such as the Affordable Care Act and Medicare-for-All. |
| Private Healthcare | For | Booker would not seek to abolish private healthcare. |
| LGBT Rights | For | Booker is a strong advocate for the advancement of LGBT rights. Booker supports and has introduced anti-discrimination legislation such as the Equality Act to the Senate. He has expressed support for reversing the transgender military ban. |
| Taxes | For | Booker is supportive of several proposals that would raise taxes, primarily on wealthier Americans. Booker would support raising the capital gains tax and would implement a carbon tax. Booker would also reverse the 2017 GOP tax cuts on wealthy Americans. |
| Flat Tax Rate | Against | Booker is supportive of progressive tax rates. Booker would support raising the capital gains tax and would implement a carbon tax. Booker would also reverse the 2017 GOP tax cuts on wealthy Americans. |
| Abortion | For | Booker is a consistent supporter of pro-choice legislation. Booker is a pro-choice candidate who has previously received endorsements from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. He supports proposals to repeal the Hyde Amendment, and consistently votes against anti-choice legislation. Booker also supports policies that would require employers to cover contraception in their insurance plans. |
| Gun Control | For | Booker is supportive of several types of gun control measures. Booker is supportive of proposals to implement universal background checks, a federal gun licensing program, and bans on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and bump stocks |
| Assisted Suicide | Unknown | Booker has not made any specific statements on this subject. Booker is supportive of proposals to implement universal background checks, a federal gun licensing program, and bans on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and bump stocks |
| Government Interference | For | Booker is supportive of increase government oversight on issues such as gun control and environmental policy. |
| Planned Parenthood | For | Booker believes that Planned Parenthood provides essential healthcare services for women and would seek to protect its funding. |
| Welfare | For | Booker is a strong supporter of welfare systems. Booker is supportive of welfare programs and has advocated to expand the Medicaid and Social Security programs. He has also participated in campaigns to reduce stigma surrounding welfare recipients, including a publicized week in which he attempted to feed himself at costs equivalent to food stamps. He has also proposed an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit program. |
| Welfare | For | Booker does not support efforts to prohibit fetal stem cell research. |
| Death Penalty | Against | Booker opposes the death penalty and would seek to abolish it. Booker opposes the death penalty and would seek to abolish it. |
| Mandatory Prison Sentence | Against | Booker supports proposals to abolish mandatory minimums. |
| Military Spending | For | Booker has voted to increase military spending more times than he has voted to cut it. |
| War on Terrorism | Against | Booker has called to withdraw US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. |
| Foreign Policy International Interaction | For | Booker prefers international cooperation over isolation. Booker serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he has vocally opposed many of the Trump Administration’s isolationist foreign policy approaches. He has been especially critical of the Trump Administration’s alienation of foreign allies. |
| United Nations power | For | Booker has praised the institution for all it has accomplished since its establishment in 1945. |
| Nationalism | Against | Booker has been an outspoken opponent to the presence of nationalism in US politics. |
| Free Markets | For | Booker prefers free-trade measures over protectionist methods. Booker has spoken against protectionist trade practices such as tariffs and has advocated for free trade on both a domestic and international scale. |
| Brexit | Unknown | Booker has indicated any firm position on this issue. |
| Affirmative Action | For | Booker was extremely critical of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh for his position on affirmative action. |
| Government Spending | For | Booker is supportive of increased government spending on both social programs and defense. |
| Charter Schools | For | Booker founded the Newark Charter School Fund. |
| Common Core | For | While Booker believes in the concept of the Common Core, he does not support its current implementation. Booker would adjust the standards and enforcement of Common Core standards. |
| Clean Energy | For | Booker believes in the need to transition the US to clean energy use. Booker is an environmentalist with unique experience in crafting environmental policy from his time on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. He has endorsed the Green New Deal and as a Senator, he co-sponsored multiple pieces of legislation to implement clean energy goals. He believes the US should recommit to the Paris Climate Agreement. |
| Religious Freedom | For | Booker believes in the right to religious freedom. N/A |
| Separation of Church and State | Unknown | Has made no clear stance on this issue. |
| Slavery Reparations | For | Has supported reparations and has back and pushed bill that would study reparations and its consequences. |
| Border Control | Nuance | Has a mixed voting record on this issue. Voted for the Immigration Security and Opportunity Act, against the Secure and Succeed act and against the Stop Illegal Reentry act. |
| Passenger Profiling | Unknown | Has made no clear stance on this issue. |
| DACA | For | Stated that this is what America stands for and that this was how America was founded. |
| Sanctuary Cities | For | Voted against the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act. |
| Legalizing Marijuana | For | Booker has stated the drug War is a failure and to legalize Marijuana. Has also been rate B+ by NORML. |