Cory Booker won the New Jersey primary election. His win secures the Democratic Senate nomination. Booker will face Republican opponent Steve Lonegan, in an October 16 special election.
Booker has served as mayor of Newark since 2006. He is well-known for his strong, and often unconventional, fight against crime. Throughout his political career, Booker has literally taken his fight to the streets of Newark.
As reported by Biography.com, Booker has gone on a hunger strike , slept in a tent, and walked the streets at 4 am.
In addition to his political work, Booker founded numerous nonprofit organizations. The organizations provide Newark residents with services and resources that improve their quality of life.
As mayor, Cory Booker reduced the city’s deficit and the crime rate. He now hopes to improve conditions for the entire state.
As reported by US News, Booker plans to focus his attention in “ NSA surveillance and personal freedom.” However, his campaign has received stark criticism for being “as vague as they come.”
Lonegan has stated that his opponent “has the support and the money of the Silicon Valley moguls who collect our data.” He suggests that Booker’s fight for personal freedom is compromised by his biggest backers.
Booker has also been criticized for mishandling a $100 million donation to Newark’s education system. The donation came from one of Booker’s most generous supporters, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg .
Booker’s ongoing dispute with Newark’s animal shelter has been another point of criticism. The Associated Humane Societies has accused Booker of slander and neglect.
Booker plans to open a no-kill shelter, stating that the city’s shelter euthanizes too many animals. The AHS says his words and actions are only “belittling [them] and causing problems.”
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude” A A Milne (Thanks 2 all who helped)
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) August 14, 2013
Despite the criticism, Cory Booker has a 25 percent lead over Lonegan in a recent poll. The poll was conducted by Quinnipiac University. The margin of error is 2.2 percent.
[Image via Wikimedia ]
