Class of 2018 honorary member Cory Booker suspends presidential campaign

New Jersey Senator and 2018 Class Day speaker Cory Booker announced the suspension of his campaign for President of the United States via Twitter at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 13.

“Today I am suspending my campaign for President with the same spirit with which it began. It is my faith in us, my faith in us together as a nation, that we share common pain and common problems that can only be solved with a common purpose and a sense of common cause,” he said in a video attached to his announcement.

It's with a full heart that I share this news—I'm suspending my campaign for president.

To my team, supporters, and everyone who gave me a shot—thank you. I am so proud of what we built, and I feel nothing but faith in what we can accomplish together. pic.twitter.com/Fxvc549vlJ
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 13, 2020

The announcement came a day before the CNN/Des Moines Register debate in Des Moines, Iowa, for which the Senator did not qualify.

In an email to supporters, Booker wrote, “It was a difficult decision to make, but I got in this race to win, and I've always said I wouldn't continue if there was no longer a path to victory.”

Booker also cited the fact that “the urgent business of impeachment will rightly be keeping” him in Washington as a reason it would be increasingly difficult for him to be on the campaign trail, raising funds and rallying support.

Prior to running for president, Booker served as mayor of Newark and a member of the Newark City Council. He was first elected to the Senate in 2013, and his current term expires in 2021. He is a Stanford University graduate, a Yale Law School degree recipient, and a former Rhodes Scholar. He is also an honorary member of the University’s Class of 2018.

Eleven candidates are still vying for the nomination. With California Senator Kamala Harris dropping out in December, and Booker suspending his campaign, former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick is the only remaining black candidate. During the December televised Democratic debate, for which Booker did not qualify, entrepreneur Andrew Yang was the only candidate of color on the debate stage.

The following day’s debate stage would include six candidates — Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, former Mayor of South Bend, Ind., Pete Buttigieg, and billionaire and activist Tom Steyer — all of whom are white.

In his announcement, Booker said that campaigning over the past year has been “one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.” The end of his campaign, Booker said, will not be the end of his involvement in the race.

“I can’t wait to get back on the campaign trail and campaign as hard as I can for whoever is the eventual nominee and for candidates up and down the ballot,” he said.

Senator Booker’s press office did not respond to request for comment by The Daily Princetonian at the time of publication.