Booker is planning for a Saturday rollout. Booker to announce Senate bid

Newark Mayor Cory Booker is expected, weather permitting, to declare his Senate candidacy on Saturday, the official kickoff to a campaign that had not been expected in earnest until next year.

Booker is planning for a Saturday rollout, sources told POLITICO, but the bear-down from Tropical Storm Andrea expected to hit the Northeast this weekend might impact what he does.


Meanwhile, sources confirmed that veteran New Jersey Democratic political consultant Brad Lawrence, who has had both Booker and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), as clients for years, is going to be working for the Newark mayor’s Senate campaign.

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Pallone had told Democrats he was planning to run, but has yet to make a public announcement. Without Lawrence, he is heading into battle with a smaller team, if he does go ahead with a race.

Also working for Booker is Joel Benenson, who was President Obama’s main pollster in his last two elections.

Booker is the favorite to succeed the late Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who died Monday. Gov. Chris Christie forced Booker to run sooner than later when he called a special election to replace Lautenberg in October — a move that was objected to by people in both parties.