Cory Booker, who has used his job as mayor of Newark to build a national profile as a rising Democrat star, has formally announced his bid to complete the term of Frank Lautenberg, the US senator for New Jersey who died last week.
At a news conference Saturday, Booker extolled his own achievements in dealing with Newark's problems of crime, social blight and joblessness and promised a run based firmly from the centre ground of American politics.
He said that his seven years as mayor had shown him that it was vital to work with a wide variety of people and groups to solve problems. "We didn't sit back spouting ideology from the bleachers … we in Newark have been doing things differently," he said.
Booker's entry into the race has been triggered by a special election to fill the seat of long-standing Democratic Lautenberg, who died on Monday. New Jersey governor Chris Christie – a pugnacious Republican with potential ambitions towards the White House – then announced that there would be a swift race for the seat, rather than simply appointing a successor for the rest of Lautenberg's term.
Booker will likely face several rivals in a primary race but is the hot favourite to become the Democratic choice. He has talked up his record in Newark, a fondness for social media and appearances on television into a national profile and has the potential to tap into a wide network of national donors for his bid.
Early polling also suggests he could win the race overall. A Quinnipiac survey pitting Booker against TV personality Geraldo Rivera had him ahead 59% to 23% – though Rivera has recently quashed the speculation that he would run.
Booker has become a darling of many Democratic figures as a young, attractive, moderate black politician who self-consciously runs "post-racial" campaigns that seem to fit the era of President Barack Obama. He is business-friendly and has worked hard to undo Newark's long-time image as a by-word for urban problems and a history of racial discontent.
He is an avid user of Twitter – where he has 1.4m followers – and a history of using political stunts to gain credibility with the city's poorer citizens. He once lived in a tent to expose the problems of open air drug dealing and after Superstorm Sandy hit last year he also allowed some residents without power to sleep and eat in his home.
That sort of thing has won Booker many supporters but there are also critics who accuse him of being too interested in his own career and media profile. Booker acknowledged his detractors in his speech. "There is not a criticism I have not heard over the years. I have heard it all," he said.
But he vociferously dismissed concerns, saying he had taken action in Newark to reduce crime, bring in jobs and investment and improve living standards. "I do not run from challenges. I run towards them … we have changed the city," he said.
Booker's campaign team is still setting up but he has already attracted strong backers. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has already announced plans to hold a fundraiser for him and Booker was introduced at his press conference by former New Jersey senator Bill Bradley.
"The right kind of politics allows us to see something bigger than ourselves. It allows politicians to appeal to our better nature. And it allows citizens to have faith in their neighbours, in people, in humankind. The reason I am here today is because I believe Cory Booker embodies that kind of politics and is that kind of leader," Bradley said, as he endorsed the 44-year-old mayor.
This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk
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