Democrat Corey Booker, the energetic mayor of Newark, New Jersey, has announced his intention to run in New Jersey's special U.S. Senate election to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Senator Frank Lautenberg.
If he wins, he will become the first African American elected to the United States Senate since Barack Obama in Illinois in 2004.
Like Obama, he possesses charisma and style that drive voters to the polls. He came out of nowhere to win his first office, a seat on the Newark City Council, back in 1998. He then embarked on a grassroots effort to become mayor of the city in 2006 and again in 2010, similar to Barack Obama's successful run for President of the United States in 2008. While in office, he has pursued a middle-class agenda like Obama's concerning jobs, housing, and crime prevention.
But will he be able to compete or hold his own like Barack Obama on the national stage? Booker's strongest on local issues like law enforcement and public education in a struggling city he has helped to rebuild. He was even on the front lines during Hurricane Sandy and later made history when, according to published reports, he rescued a homeowner from a burning house. But can he go up against a top-notch Republican or Democrat on issues like the Middle East, the federal deficit, or the war in Afghanistan? If not, the race could slip away from him in a solidly blue state.
To win, he must enhance his knowledge of current events yet play up his down-home persona. It would guarantee him the suburban vote and the support of hardcore cities like Trenton and Patterson as a pathway to victory.
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