Cory Booker Endorses Joe Biden

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) endorsed Joe Biden for president in a tweet Monday morning, saying the former vice president will “restore honor to the Oval Office and tackle our most pressing challenges.”

“The answer to hatred & division is to reignite our spirit of common purpose. @JoeBiden won’t only win – he’ll show there’s more that unites us than divides us,” Booker tweeted. “He’ll restore honor to the Oval Office and tackle our most pressing challenges. That’s why I’m proud to endorse Joe.”

The answer to hatred & division is to reignite our spirit of common purpose.@JoeBiden won’t only win – he’ll
show there's more that unites us than divides us.

He’ll restore honor to the Oval Office and tackle our most pressing challenges.

That’s why I’m proud to endorse Joe. pic.twitter.com/RcsnZs5mfQ
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 9, 2020

Biden retweeted Booker’s post shortly after, saying he is “incredibly grateful” for the senator’s endorsement.

“Cory — Your leadership has given hope to so many and has inspired our nation to rise to meet the challenges of today,” he said. “I’m incredibly grateful for your endorsement — and I look forward to working alongside you to unite the country and defeat Donald Trump.”

Booker will campaign with Biden in Flint and Detroit, Michigan, as well as attend a fundraiser with him Monday afternoon.

The endorsement comes on the eve of the next round of primaries, with six states voting Tuesday, including delegate-heavy and key general-election battleground state of Michigan.

Booker ended his own presidential bid in January, after failing to qualify for the Democratic debate ahead of the Iowa caucuses. During his run, Booker sparred with Biden on a number of policy proposals, including his past statements he made about working with segregationist lawmakers in the Senate and his vote for the 1994 crime bill.

In an interview with CBS on Monday after announcing his endorsement, Booker was asked about his support for Biden after his criticism of the former vice president regarding criminal justice reform.

“Well, first of all, I love Joe Biden. He and I have had a great relationship for a long time,” Booker said. “I wouldn’t have run against him if I didn’t think I was the best person to be the next president of the United States, but I’m out of the race.”

He added; “And as I look at him, I know factually from talking to him that some of my biggest issues like criminal justice reform, like racial justice, like economic justice, that he is going to be a strong leader on that and can actually pull the country together, the kind of coalitions we need to actually make progress in those areas.”

"As I look at him… some of my biggest issues, like criminal justice reform, like racial justice, like economic justice, that he is going to be a strong leader on that… not just to beat Donald Trump, but to bring honor back to that office." – Sen. @CoryBooker on @JoeBiden pic.twitter.com/GygDJtiab1
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) March 9, 2020

Black voters have helped given Biden the latest boost in momentum since his disappointing finishes in earlier contests that put his campaign on the brink of collapse. Since his overwhelming win in the South Carolina primary, Biden has gained a wave of endorsements by his former rivals, including recently Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) who endorsed the former Vice President on Sunday.

On the other hand, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has so far received the endorsements from former candidates Marianne Williamson and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has yet to make her presidential endorsement since dropping out the race last Thursday.

Sanders, who narrowly won Michigan over Hillary Clinton in a huge upset in the 2016 Democratic primary, is hoping for a repeat performance to stop Biden’s recent comeback surge. The Vermont Senator canceled events in Mississippi to focus his efforts in the state over the weekend. In a rally Sunday night at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Sanders touted endorsements from civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and support from Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).

“I understand that Joe Biden has the support of the entire political establishment. I got that, but we have the support of some of the strongest grass roots movements in this country,” Sanders said Sunday night. “We have the support of some of the best unions in this country, and I would 100 times over prefer to have grassroots support than establishment support.”

Biden currently leads the race with 664 delegates, with Sanders close behind with 573