Sen. Cory Booker says he’s ‘definitely not ruling out’ a possible presidential run

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said Sunday that he is not ruling out running for president in 2028, but said he is focused on running for re-election to the Senate this year.

When asked if he would be willing to run for president, Booker told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that he “certainly wouldn’t rule it out,” but “I’m running for re-election. I hope New Jersey supports me for six more years.”

Booker has been a member of the Senate since 2013 and has previously run for president once, during the 2020 presidential election cycle. That year, he dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary in early January, citing a lack of funds to continue his campaign. Then-Vice President Joe Biden won the Democratic presidential nomination and the presidency that year.

But Booker has fueled rumors in recent years that he might run again. The senator raised $10 million for his campaign account and that of an affiliated joint fundraising committee, which included the period after his record-breaking 25-hour, 5-minute speech on the Senate floor.

And last week, Booker released a new book, “Stand,” which he is promoting with a national book tour, sparking speculation that he could run for president again in 2028.

His remarks on “Meet the Press” were not the first time he had ruled out another presidential run, saying in February on former Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison’s podcast that he had “not ruled out running for president again in ’28.”

Booker, who married his wife Alexis Lewis last year, said they were both aware of “what’s at stake” for future generations when asked if she would support a potential presidential campaign.

“I think what she’s arguing now is that, number one, we’re both excited about being married and hopeful about starting a family, but she knows what’s at stake,” the senator said.

He later added: “She and I talk about it a lot, in the coming months we just want to be part of a generation of Americans that helps redeem the dream.”

Booker also spoke about his desire for the Democratic Party to be less restrictive in 2028 when it comes to enforcing purity tests and establishing ideological standards for candidates.

“I’m proud of so many things my fellow Democrats are doing, but overall our party has failed right now,” Booker told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker.

“This left-right divide is killing our country, and our adversaries know it. They come to our social media and try to stir up hatred in America,” added the New Jersey senator. “This is one of our greatest crises. It is time to adopt a new vision of our country that is much more unifying, that brings people together, without deepening divisions.”

Some Democrats have blamed ideological tests that some left-wing groups have demanded 2020 Democratic presidential candidates pass in exchange for endorsing former Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed presidential campaign two years ago.

The Trump campaign used one of Harris’ responses to a 2019 ACLU questionnaire about providing gender-affirming care to inmates in prisons and immigration detention centers to run television ads accusing the vice president of being “for them” while “President Trump is for you.”

Booker also called on the Democratic Party on Sunday to broaden its priorities beyond just countering President Donald Trump and his agenda.

“The challenges on the horizon are not just the current crisis caused by Trump. He should not be the main character in our narrative,” Booker told Welker. “Right now we face real challenges with new technologies like AI and robotics, new challenges that we need more unity in our country and a reminder that we are not each other’s enemies.”