Newark, N.J. Cory Booker (D) has filed the necessary paperwork and behaved like a U.S. Senate candidate, but he said Tuesday that his campaign won’t be made official until after Garden State voters head to the polls for the state’s gubernatorial election later this year.
“Not until after the governor’s race. I’m really going to wait,” Booker told BuzzFeed.
Booker said he will wait out of respect to state Sen. Barbara Buono (D), the longshot Democratic candidate who’s challenging Gov. Chris Christie (R).
“I’m gonna go out and try to raise a lot of money [for Buono], but it would be wrong to hold a press conference” until her race is over, Booker said.
Booker filed organizing papers with the Federal Election Commission in January, officially making “Cory Booker for Senate” the popular mayor’s principal campaign committee.
His announcement in December that he would explore a run for the seat held by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) before the incumbent had revealed his own plans immediately set off a feud between the two. The 89-year-old Lautenberg ultimately announced last month that he will step down at the end of his term next year, but Booker could still face a competitive Democratic primary against the likes of Reps. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) Rush Holt (D-NJ).
