4. Cory Booker
Like Deval Patrick, Cory Booker has been the subject of election rumors for some time now. Previously the mayor of Newark, New Jersey from 2006 until 2013, Booker is currently the junior senator from New Jersey.
Booker has gained a reputation for strong stances and equally strong words. For supporters, that could be the sign of a solid leader who won’t back down on morals and political positions. For detractors or those on the line, however, some may think that Booker’s political moves are over the top machinations. From his combative performance in the nomination process of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, you could make either conclusion. Even then, that sort of recognition could be a powerful tool in Booker’s kit, assuming that he runs as expected.
How could we suspect a Booker 2020 campaign? He’s made some recent appearances that could be important to a future candidate, such as a speech in the battleground state of Iowa. Really, at this point, any politician or politically-motivated person who’s been spending time in Iowa is up for consideration.
As has been repeated ad nauseam in this list, the base of Democratic voters appears to be shifting steadily to the left. That’s a problem for many big names in the Democratic Party, who must surely recognize this shift. Yet, they also seem to be worrying about keeping the votes of middle-of-the-road voters and independents. Booker, however, appears to be making his bets on the more progressive side. He’s established a fairly liberal record over his mayoral and legislative career.