Cory Booker is a well-established politician, attorney, and author. As a popular state leader and previous democratic Presidential candidate, he has the support of millions of Americans.
Born in Washington D.C. and raised in New Jersey, Cory Booker stayed close to his east-coast roots throughout his lifetime. He now currently resides in New Jersey, where he has been a senator for the state since 2013.
Cory Booker’s entire life has been dedicated to politics. He has served many terms as a politician, including roles as a mayor, senator, and presidential candidate for the 2020 election. Although his candidacy did not go to full-force, his success in the world of politics has not gone unnoticed.
From receiving an undergraduate degree from Standford University, attending Yale Law School, and being sworn into the Senate, Cory Booker’s leadership has led to innovative policies for the east-coast state of New Jersey, and the United States overall.
East-Coast Roots
Cory Booker was born in Washington D.C. to civil rights activists on April 27, 1969. His family later decided to move to New Jersey, specifically Harrington Park, or the northern part of the state. Cary Alfred and Carolyn Rose Booker, Cory’s parents, were active in the community and taught him to stand up for what he believed in.
As the first black executives at IBM, Cory’s parents strived to provide Cory with a prestigious education and excellent morals. Cory received a football scholarship to Stanford University, in hopes of going to the NFL. His dreams of the NFL did not come to fruition and Booker was taken off the team to be replaced. However, his successes were only beginning as a small-town football star from New Jersey.
Booker completed his undergraduate studies at Standford University, where he also finished his Master’s degree, received a Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford and later, completed a law degree from Yale University in 1997.
Cory felt a strong connection to New Jersey and it was clear to those around him that he did not find another place to live. He would later become known as the politician who could’ve moved anywhere, but instead decided to stay to see the injustices of the city life for himself.
Political Successes in New Jersey
Cory moved to Newark, New Jersey from the northern part of the state after law school. Almost immediately, he started a program for low-income families in need, and a non-profit organization to provide legal services for those who could not afford them. He lived in public housing, known as the “Brick Towers” in Newark from 1998 to 2006 when the housing project was demolished.
In 2006, Booker was voted in to become the next mayor of Newark, New Jersey. This kickstarted his abilities in politics, as economic growth skyrocketed, crime rates decreased, affordable housing increased, and city services grew. Everyone quickly realized that Neward needed someone like Cory Booker to make the city strong again.
As mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013, Cory knew he wanted to expand his political career. In October of 2013, Booker was able to conquer a special election to represent New Jersey in the United States Senate. In November of 2014, he was re-elected to serve an additional six-year term for the state.
As a senator, Cory Booker was able to verbally announce his theories for change in the United States criminal justice system to end mass incarceration, advocate for more opportunities for economic growth and protect the Affordable Care Act.
Watch his campaign video below, in which he explains his theory for change in America:
Cory Booker’s Home in Newark, New Jersey
Cory Booker still resides in Newark, New Jersey, where he owns a townhouse in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of the city. Otherwise known as the Newark Central Ward, or “The Coast”, the neighborhood is known for its art, jazz, and popular nightlife.
The area is not the greatest and has been characterized as a very “low-income” area of Newark in the late 2010s. Booker’s communications director stated that his Newark address is in “one of the toughest neighborhoods in New Jersey”.
Booker is notorious for living in underrepresented areas to understand the difficulties people face every day. He has previously lived on Hawthorne Avenue for seven years, as well, where he saw the adversity people went through in such a low-income area.
Cory bought his 2,818 square-foot townhouse in 2013, and its worth is up an estimated 154% since he bought it. According to Forbes, the property is worth around $435,377.
Although never married, Cory states that he’s never felt too lonely in his beloved city. People oftentimes speculate whether or not he actually lives there, however, his campaign maintains the stance that he is usually there.