Midterms 2026 · Report · File No. 261105-890
Booker books two South Carolina trips in November as 2028 talk grows
Sen. Cory Booker, fresh off a Senate win in New Jersey, will speak at two NAACP dinners in South Carolina this month. The early Southern stops come as Democrats look ahead to 2028.
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Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, will make two trips to South Carolina this month. His office announced the visits Thursday, as talk grows about whether he will run for president again in 2028 1.
The first stop is this Friday, when Booker will speak at the Sumter County NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet. The NAACP is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the civil rights group. He will then go to Charleston for the NAACP's annual Freedom Fund Gala on Nov. 20 1.
A familiar face in the state
These will not be his first visits this year. Booker went to South Carolina for the NAACP's King Day at the Dome event in January. He also campaigned there with Sen.-elect Annie Andrews, a Democrat, and with other congressional candidates 1.
South Carolina matters because of its place on the Democratic calendar. This brief does not cover how the party will order its 2028 primaries, so that part is not settled here.
From Channel GOPBooker asks Patel about his promised Epstein forgery probeCory Booker · 467 plays · captioned, with the source named
What Booker has said
Booker ran for president in 2020. He left the race in January of that year, before the party's primary, because of low polling numbers and a shortage of campaign money 1.
In March, NBC's Bristen Welker asked him about another run. He said he is “not ruling it out.” He then turned to his Senate reelection campaign and said he hoped “New Jersey will support me for another six years.” 1
not ruling it out
New Jersey voters appear to have done that. Booker defended his seat on Tuesday against Republican Justin Murphy 12. As of about 3 p.m. Thursday, with 94 percent of the state's votes counted, Booker led by just over 27 percentage points, according to Decision Desk HQ, an election-results service 1.
A crowded field if he runs
The Hill says Booker is not seen as one of the top contenders for the 2028 nomination 1. If he ran, he would likely face some party heavyweights. They could include former Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez of New York 1.
The Hill describes Harris as an early favorite. Newsom said he would not run against her. Ocasio-Cortez signaled she is still weighing her options, including a possible challenge to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat 1.
Analysis: Booker's schedule shows how quickly Democrats are turning from this week's election to the next White House race. Nothing in the reporting says he has decided to run. A pair of NAACP dinners in a key early state is still the kind of stop that keeps the question open.
What happens next is simple. Booker speaks in Sumter County on Friday and in Charleston on Nov. 20 1. Whether he, Harris, Newsom or Ocasio-Cortez enters the race is not yet known.
New Jersey will support me for another six years.
The Record
- Booker left his 2020 presidential bid in January of that year, before the party's primary, because of low polling and drying-up resources 1.
- Booker defended his Senate seat against Republican Justin Murphy, leading by just over 27 points as of Thursday afternoon with 94 percent counted 12.
- Booker's office announced two November trips to South Carolina, starting with a Sumter County NAACP banquet on Friday 1.
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Sources
- The Hill, “Booker set to hit the trail in South Carolina amid 2028 chatter” (2026-11-05). thehill.com/homenews/senate/6202223-cory-booker-south-caroli
- WHYY, “New Jersey election 2026: Cory Booker faces 3 challengers in U.S. Senate race. Here's what to know” (2026-09-22). whyy.org/articles/election-2026-new-jersey-senate-voter-guid
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