“Now more than ever, we need Cory’s message of optimism and unity,” State Rep. Amy Nielsen said about Sen. Cory Booker. | Ethan Miller/Getty Images 2020 Elections Iowa lawmaker becomes first to endorse Booker

Sen. Cory Booker has won the first endorsement of an Iowa state lawmaker, nearly a year out from the presidential caucuses.

State Rep. Amy Nielsen, a former mayor of North Liberty, a town in Johnson County, announced Tuesday she is backing Booker (D-N.J.) for president, praising his work as mayor of Newark, N.J.


“As a former mayor myself, I know the types of tough decisions you must make when you’re the city’s chief executive officer and how that prepares you to tackle big things in the future,” Nielsen said in a video posted on social media. “Now more than ever, we need Cory’s message of optimism and unity.”

Nielsen’s nod comes as 2020 presidential candidates trek through Iowa this month to lay early groundwork in a crowded primary field.

Earlier this month, Nielsen and Booker held a joint event in Cedar Rapids. Booker also attended a fundraiser for Nielsen last October after Booker headlined the state Democratic Party’s fall gala. At the time, Booker traveled throughout the state, plugging Democrats and raising money for the party in the midterm elections.

