Cory Booker still sees “path to victory,” despite not qualifying for debate
Though the NJ senator hasn’t raised enough money and isn't ranked high on four national polls, is still in the fight to be president
The New Jersey senator Cory Booker still sees a “path to victory” although he won’t be on the Democratic debate stage next Thursday.
Cory Booker still sees a “path to victory” although he won’t be on the Democratic debate stage next Thursday.
Booker hasn’t raised enough money through fundraising and hasn’t reached the 4 percent threshold of people backing him in at least four national polls to qualify to participate in the debate, reports the New York Post.
The results of a Quinnipiac University poll on Tuesday reveal that Booker only has 1 percent of voter support. In order to qualify to participate in the debate, Dem candidates must reach either the 4 percent support in four national or 6 percent support in two early-polling state polls. Also, there is a requirement that candidates receive donations from least 200,000 unique donors.
Still, the New Jersey senator said he sees a path forward.
“Today is the deadline for the DNC’s December debate qualifying threshold — and while I may not be on the debate stage next Thursday, thanks to the outpouring of support over the past few weeks, we know there’s a path to victory, and we no longer need the debate stage to get there,” the New Jersey senator tweeted.
Today is the deadline for the DNC’s December debate qualifying threshold—and while I may not be on the debate stage next Thursday, thanks to the outpouring of support over the past few weeks, we know there’s a path to victory, and we no longer need the debate stage to get there.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) December 12, 2019
Booker then tweeted another message to his supporters, on why he is staying in the race.
“I’m not sticking around for vanity or ego — I’m in this to win it because I believe I’m the best candidate to beat Donald Trump and lead this country to higher ground,” Booker wrote.
I’m not sticking around for vanity or ego—I’m in this to win it because I believe I’m the best candidate to beat Donald Trump and lead this country to higher ground.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) December 12, 2019
Although Booker is still far behind the fundraising efforts of frontrunners like Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders, he took in more than $6 million in donations this past quarter.
Addisu Demissie, Booker’s campaign manager, said the focus moving forward would be on President Trump’s impeachment.
READ MORE: Cory Booker announces initiative that would provide almost $100 billion to HBCUs
“We will build our entire campaign around that. We don’t really know how long it’s going to be… so we’re staying flexible in that regard,” Demissie said, according to the AP.
The Dec. 19 debate will be hosted by PBS NewsHour and Politico and will take place at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. In addition to Biden, Warren, and Sanders, Andrew Yang, Amy Klobuchar, Tom Steyer, and Pete Buttigieg qualified to participate.
