NEWARK, N.J. (WCBS 880) — New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker ended his campaign for president on Monday.
The 50-year-old Democrat made the announcement on Twitter, after struggling in polling and fundraising.
"To my team, supporters, and everyone who gave me a shot—thank you," the former Newark mayor said. "I am so proud of what we built, and I feel nothing but faith in what we can accomplish together.”
In an email to supporters, Booker said that he “got into this race to win” and that his failure to make the Democratic debate scheduled for Tuesday prevented him from meeting requirements needed for a victory.
“We know that we needed more resources to compete and grow our operation in the early states and you know, unfortunately we just didn't have those resource,” said Sabrina Singh, Booker’s national campaign press secretary. “It unfortunately was the right time for him to make the decision to suspend the campaign.”
Booker had also previously worried that the looming impeachment trial of President Donald Trump would deal a large blow to his campaign by pulling him away from early voting states just before the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses.
However, Singh notes that Booker was always realistic about his expectations for his campaign.
“Cory had said from day one he was not going to be a candidate that stayed in this race, that would pull resources away from other Democrats and he was not going to stay in this race if he didn't see a path to victory,” she said. “Unfortunately, while we had incredible state operations in all the early states, we just didn't have the resources to continue to go on and compete alongside some of our other democratic colleagues that that are still in the race today.”
Booker has now pledged to do “everything in my power to elect the eventual Democratic nominee for president." His campaign said he has no immediate plans to endorse another Democratic candidate.
Booker launched his campaign last February, delivering a message of unity to a politically divided nation.
Sen. Bob Menendez, the senior senator from New Jersey, said he was saddened to learn about Bookers withdrawal.
“I think Cory Booker was the one candidate who could bring the country together in common cause for a better future and if there was ever a moment in which the country needed somebody who could heal it, it would have been now and he would have been that person,” Menendez said.
Booker now plans to run for re-election in the Senate, as his seat is up for a vote this year. Some have already launched a bid for the seat, but Booker is expected to have an easy path to reelection.