Is Cory Booker running for president in 2028?
Cory Booker has not ruled out a 2028 presidential run. The New Jersey senator told NBC's Meet the Press in March 2026 that he is 'definitely not ruling it out,' while also running for Senate re-election in 2026. He is tracked as a possible candidate and is constitutionally eligible.
Cory Booker, the U.S. senator from New Jersey, is a possible 2028 Democratic presidential candidate. He ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020, formally declaring in February 2019 and withdrawing before the Iowa caucuses in January 2020. As of mid-2026 he is running for Senate re-election while leaving open the possibility of a 2028 presidential bid.
His clearest signal came on March 29, 2026, when he told NBC's Meet the Press 'I am definitely not ruling it out' about a 2028 presidential run. He has been on a national tour promoting a new book, which has kept his national profile active. The book tour and the open comment together place him in the possible-candidate tier.
Booker polls in the mid-single digits in early Democratic primary surveys - 5 percent in the McLaughlin and Associates poll of June 17-23, 2026, and 7 percent in the Overton Insights poll of May 16-20, 2026. He is a recognizable national figure but trails the front tier of Newsom, Harris, Buttigieg, and AOC in current polling and prediction markets.
He is constitutionally eligible. Born April 27, 1969, Booker is a natural-born U.S. citizen who will be 59 years old at the January 20, 2029 inauguration, well above the 35-year constitutional minimum. He has been a U.S. resident his entire life. No legal bar prevents a 2028 candidacy.
Related: Cory Booker - full candidate profile | The 2028 Democratic field | 2028 Democratic primary polls
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Related explainers
To be eligible, a person must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years.
The 2028 presidential campaign effectively starts after the November 2026 midterms, with formal announcements expected through 2027 - historically 12 to 18 months before the first primaries in early 2028. There is no legal start date, and as of July 2026 no major candidate has formally declared.
Gavin Newsom is widely considered a likely 2028 Democratic candidate. He has not formally declared but leads Democratic prediction markets and has said he will seriously decide after the 2026 midterms. He is constitutionally eligible and is the most-watched Democrat in the forming field as of mid-2026.
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