Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) has placed four staffers on the ground in Iowa to help Democratic candidates as he positions himself for a potential presidential bid. The move bolsters Booker’s position as a possible candidate for the 2020 presidential election, The Guardian reported.
This week he boosted his national profile by daring Senate Republicans to bring ethics charges against him for his release of documents about the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
On Saturday, Booker announced he will speak at the Iowa Democratic Party’s annual gala. That’s a key event for activists in presidential nominating contests.
Bob Sand, a former state assistant attorney general, and Deirdre DeJear – who would be the first woman of color elected to statewide office in Iowa – are two of the candidates Booker is assisting.
The senator is working on Democratic efforts to regain control of the state legislature, the report stated. In doing so, he’s raising money for Democratic candidates and progressive causes.
But he is not the only prominent Democrat with staffers who are active in Iowa. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has placed a staffer with Tim Gannon, the Democratic nominee for state agriculture secretary. Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan (D) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) also have people on the ground, according to the report.
Also, Maryland Rep. John Delaney (D), who has officially announced a presidential bid, was reportedly seen with many local candidates, the report stated.
One way potential presidential candidates test the waters in early voting states is to place staffers on campaigns and boost political infrastructure. But it is not always a guarantee of a presidential run, The Guardian noted.
Booker’s upcoming speech will be his second before Iowa Democrats. Booker, the former mayor of Newark, New Jersey, was well-received during the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
Elsewhere, he was seen this weekend campaigning in Texas, according to The Guardian.
