Cory Booker on The Chopping Block as Candidate’s Super PAC Shuts Down
Booker’s polling numbers, and his lack of fundraising, seem to indicate that Booker could be on his way out the door.
The left’s overcrowded field has been drawing strong criticism for months now, as voters continue to struggle to choose a clear frontrunner in the often-ugly race. Former Vice President Joe Biden seemed to be a shoe-in, at least for several weeks before being upended by Senator Elizabeth Warren, with the two currently locked in a tug of war for the coveted top spot. Bernie Sanders of Vermont appears somewhat threatening to both Warren and Biden as of late, and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg has suddenly surged as well, currently holding an unexpected and strong lead in Iowa while polling less enthusiastically on a nationwide scale. This comes after two latecomers announced their candidacies as well: Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. But the real story of the Democratic field is who isn’t going to win, and why they are still in the race at all.
Senator Cory Booker is just such a candidate, and the latest news from his campaign seems to indicate that his run is likely coming to an end. Steve Phillips, a San Francisco lawyer and founder of Dream United, indicated in a news release that the super PAC had struggled to raise money. Booker, D-N.J., has publicly disavowed support from super PACs, which aren’t required to disclose their donors publicly. “We remain firm in our belief that Senator Cory Booker is uniquely qualified to unite and heal Americans across this country at this critical point in our history,” a statement on Dream United’s website read. “Respecting the Senator’s publicly-stated sentiments about SuperPACs, Dream United will cease operations effective immediately.” Phillips, a Stanford University classmate of Booker, said in his statement that it became clear while trying to fundraise “that the donor community is strictly adhering to Senator Booker’s publicly articulated wishes that he does not welcome independent support.”
Dig deeper, however, and this cheery narrative falls apart. The group raised a little over $1.1 million during the first six months of the year, far short of Phillips’ stated goal of $10 million. Politico reported in July that almost all of those funds were contributed by Phillips’ wife, Susan Sandler. The couple have previously helped raise money for high-profile black candidates, including former President Barack Obama and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.
https://thewashingtonsentinel.com/cory-booker-on-the-chopping-block-as-candidates-super-pac-shuts-down/
Pro-Booker super PAC raised $1.1 million in first half of 2019
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/15/cory-booker-2020-super-pac-1415954