New Jersey senator Cory Booker has ended his bid for the White House, ahead of tomorrow’s Democratic Debate which he failed to qualify for.
It’s with a full heart that I share this news—I’m suspending my campaign for president.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 13, 2020
To my team, supporters, and everyone who gave me a shot—thank you. I am so proud of what we built, and I feel nothing but faith in what we can accomplish together. pic.twitter.com/Fxvc549vlJ
Booker’s departure from the crowded race was ultimately due to a lack of ability to fundraise; the New Jersey native never truly saw momentum and ultimately failed to differentiate himself within the field of presidential hopefuls. Booker never broke 5 percent in a national poll.
Throughout the campaign, Booker tried to distinguish himself as a qualified minority candidate, but hardly gained steam. After former Obama Administration HUD Secretary Julián Castro exited the race, also due to a lack of fundraising, Booker attempted to gain a last-minute fundraising haul, citing minority candidates being left out of the race, per The Hill:
Booker sends fundraising plea on Castro's exit from the race: "Julián Castro announced that he is ending his campaign for president -- becoming yet another person of color exiting a field of candidates that began as the most diverse in our nation’s history." pic.twitter.com/bgiUOD1VEG
— Alexandra Jaffe (@ajjaffe) January 2, 2020
Indeed, the field of Democrats left in the race is almost exclusively white; the only minority candidates remaining are Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard, unless you ask Elizabeth Warren, of course.
President Trump also weighed in on Booker's departure:
Really Big Breaking News (Kidding): Booker, who was in zero polling territory, just dropped out of the Democrat Presidential Primary Race. Now I can rest easy tonight. I was sooo concerned that I would someday have to go head to head with him!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2020
Cory Booker’s shining moment did not take place on the presidential campaign trail, though.
Booker’s departure comes just three weeks before the Iowa caucuses.