Cory Booker Height, Weight, Religion, Net Worth, Age, Biography

About (Profile/Biography):
Cory Anthony Booker is an American politician serving as the junior United States Senator from New Jersey since 2013. Born on April 27, 1969, in Washington, D.C., Booker previously served as the 36th Mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013. Known for his passionate oratory and commitment to social justice, he has become a prominent voice in the Democratic Party. Booker made history as Newark's first African-American mayor and gained national attention for his hands-on approach to urban revitalization.
Early Life and Education of Cory Booker
• Born to IBM executives Cary and Carolyn Booker, "Little Cory" grew up in a predominantly white suburb of Harrington Park, where his parents fought housing discrimination to provide him with better educational opportunities.
• The young activist attended Stanford University on a football scholarship, playing tight end while earning both a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in sociology before being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford.
• After completing his studies at Yale Law School in 1997, Booker declined lucrative corporate offers and instead moved into Brick Towers, a troubled housing project in Newark, demonstrating his early commitment to community involvement.
Political Career of Cory Booker
• Booker first entered politics by winning a seat on the Newark City Council in 1998, where he staged a 10-day hunger strike while living in a tent to draw attention to open-air drug dealing and other problems in one of the city's most dangerous housing projects.
• After narrowly losing his first mayoral bid in 2002 to longtime incumbent Sharpe James (a campaign documented in the film "Street Fight"), the determined reformer successfully won the office in 2006 with 72% of the vote.
• "The Senator" won a special election in 2013 following the death of Frank Lautenberg, becoming New Jersey's first African American U.S. Senator, and has since been reelected in 2014 and 2020 while also making an unsuccessful bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Cory Booker’s Notable Initiatives and Policies
• As Newark's mayor, "Superman" (a nickname earned for his heroic acts) reduced the city's budget deficit by $180 million, doubled affordable housing production, and attracted over $1 billion in new development while personally saving a neighbor from a burning building in 2012.
• In the Senate, Booker has championed criminal justice reform as lead sponsor of the First Step Act, which reduced sentences for nonviolent drug offenders and improved rehabilitation programs when signed into law in 2018.
• The progressive senator became the first vegan in the U.S. Senate in 2014 and has advocated for sustainable agriculture, food justice, and animal welfare issues while serving on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Awards and Recognitions received by Cory Booker
• Time Magazine named Booker to its 100 Most Influential People list in 2011, recognizing his innovative approach to urban governance and his use of social media to connect directly with constituents during his tenure as Newark's mayor.
• The politician received the New Jersey Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union's Roger N. Baldwin Award in 2009 for his dedication to protecting civil liberties and constitutional rights throughout his career.
• In 2020, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights honored Booker with its Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award for his tireless advocacy for criminal justice reform and racial equality in the United States Senate.
Lesser-Known Facts about Cory Booker
• Despite his busy schedule, "The Night Mayor" maintains a strict vegan diet since 2014 and follows an intense workout regimen that includes regular 4 AM exercise sessions, demonstrating his discipline beyond the political sphere.
• The spiritual senator does not identify with a specific religion but regularly studies religious texts from various traditions, including the Torah, Bible, and Quran, often sharing inspirational quotes and spiritual reflections on social media.
• An avid reader and writer, Booker has kept personal journals since childhood and has amassed a collection of over 200 journals containing his private thoughts, poetry, and reflections on his journey through public service.
Controversies around Cory Booker
• Critics questioned Booker's relationship with the education reform movement after he secured a $100 million donation from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for Newark schools in 2010, with subsequent investigations revealing much of the money went to consultants rather than classrooms.
• The senator faced scrutiny during his "Spartacus moment" at Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings when he dramatically threatened to release confidential documents, though they had already been cleared for public release.
• In 2013, Booker was embroiled in controversy regarding his stake in the video-sharing startup Waywire, which he co-founded while mayor but failed to properly disclose on financial forms, raising ethical questions about his business ties.