Cory Booker’s exit a big loss in 2020 presidential race, SC Democrats say
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, whose efforts to move up in the polls included a radio ad buy in South Carolina and visits in the state earlier this month, dropped out of the presidential race on Monday, leaving only three minorities among the 12 remaining candidates left seeking the Democratic nomination.
“Our campaign has reached the point where we need more money to scale up and continue building a campaign that can win — money we don’t have,” Booker wrote in an email to supporters.
Booker’s exit is a loss for the Democratic contest, said a top S.C. Democratic Party leader and candidate.
“In South Carolina, we have over a million non-white voters, and it’s disheartening that our debate stage will not be as diverse as our electorate,” said Trav Robertson, chairman of the S.C. Democratic Party.
The Democratic field’s only remaining minorities are former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.
Booker’s exit comes one day before the next presidential debate, scheduled to take place in Des Moines, Iowa. Only six candidates have qualified for the debate stage: former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, billionaire executive Tom Steyer, and U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
“Cory’s perspective as both a black man and a resident of an inner-city community was invaluable in shaping the presidential debate and making sure that everyone’s perspective had a seat at the table,” said Jaime Harrison, a Democrat running to unseat U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. “He understands the importance of diversity in our country, and I hope all remaining candidates uphold this American value in the same regard.”
The state’s Feb. 29 Democratic presidential primary, the first testing ground among a majority black electorate, is generally an indicator of how candidates will perform among African American voters overall.
“For a party that elected Barack Obama, it’s disappointing that our primary field is still so disproportionately white and male,” Robertson said. “I believe real changes must be made so that candidates of color are not at the disadvantage they seem to be at currently in our nominating process.”
In an effort to move up in the polls and increase his name ID, Booker last month had a five-figure ad buy on African American radio stations around the state.
According to Real Clear Politics, Booker had averaged 3% support in polls of South Carolina Democratic voters, while Biden has maintained double-digit leads in nearly every poll.
Now Booker has to move forward to the next campaign.
Earlier this month, Booker said he planned to campaign in South Carolina for fellow Democrats after the Feb. 29 primary. He also plans to seek reelection in the U.S. Senate this year.
“Cory is still figuring out plans, but I’m confident working to elect Democrats up and down the ballot will continue to be a top priority for him,” said Alexandra De Luca, a spokeswoman for Booker’s campaign.
This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
