Cory A. Booker
DemocratU.S. Senator, NJ| Age | 57 (b. 1969-04-27) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2013-10-31 (~12 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | African American (with Sierra Leonean ancestry) |
| Religion | Christian (raised in the African Methodist Episcopal Church tradition) |
| Education | B.A. in Political Science (1991) and M.A. in Sociology (1992) from Stanford University; M.A. in U.S. History from Queen's College, Oxford (1994) as a Rhodes Scholar; J.D. from Yale Law School (1997) |
| Prior occupation | Attorney / nonprofit advocate (staff attorney at the Urban Justice Center; ran free legal clinics for low-income residents before entering politics) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Marital status | Married — Alexis Lewis |
| Children | 0 |
| Residence | Newark, New Jersey |
| Notable relatives | Distant cousin of drag performer RuPaul (per a televised genealogy reveal); no immediate relatives in elected politics |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1998 |
| Previous offices | Newark Municipal Council, Central Ward (1998-2002) · Mayor of Newark, New Jersey (2006-2013) · Candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination (2019-2020) |
| Committees | Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry · Committee on Foreign Relations · Committee on the Judiciary · Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship |
| Caucuses | Congressional Black Caucus · Black Maternal Health Caucus · Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus |
| Leadership | Chair, Senate Democratic Strategic Communications Committee (2025-present) |
| Ideology | Began career as a centrist 'Clinton Democrat' but developed a liberal/progressive voting record in the Senate; widely characterized as one of the more progressive members of the Democratic caucus |
| Signature legislation | First Step Act (2018) - bipartisan federal criminal justice reform · Marijuana Justice Act (2018) - federal cannabis legalization proposal · Respect for Marriage Act (co-sponsor) · Employment Non-Discrimination Act (co-sponsor) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $585,018–$1,350,000 (2023) · estimate
| New Jersey Public Employee Retirement System Pension | other · $50,001–$100,000 · 2023 |
| Fidelity Nasdaq Composite Index mutual fund | fund · $50,001–$100,000 · 2023 |
| Fidelity OTC Portfolio mutual fund | fund · $50,001–$100,000 · 2023 |
| Fidelity Blue Chip Growth Fund | fund · $50,001–$100,000 · 2023 |
| Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 mutual fund | fund · $50,001–$100,000 · 2023 |
Top industries: Securities & Investment · Lawyers/Law Firms · Real Estate
Scandals & crimes ledger
dismissed — Newark Watershed civil lawsuit (named as defendant, later dismissed)
During Booker's tenure as Mayor of Newark (2006-2013) he served as ex officio chairman of the board of the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Corporation. A 2014 New Jersey state comptroller report found the agency 'recklessly and improperly' spent millions in public funds from 2008-2011 with little oversight from its board or the city, both then led by Booker; the report noted Booker never attended a board meeting. Multiple agency officials and contractors, including executive director Linda Watkins Brashear, were criminally convicted of fraud/bribery. In a 2015 civil suit brought by the agency's bankruptcy trustees, Booker was named among more than two dozen defendants alleged to be responsible. U.S. District Judge Vincent Papalia dismissed Booker from the suit in June 2016, holding that he was protected by a state statute because he served on the board in his capacity as a public official. Booker himself was never criminally charged.