Sen. Cory Booker Cory Anthony BookerSunday shows preview: Lawmakers prepare for SCOTUS confirmation hearings before election The movement to reform animal agriculture has reached a tipping point Watchdog confirms State Dept. canceled award for journalist who criticized Trump MORE (D-N.J.) is taking a pass in Vermont’s Democratic presidential primary.

The New Jersey senator won’t appear on the state’s primary ballot when voters head to the polls in March, according to a list of qualified candidates released by the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office on Tuesday. Candidates had until 5 p.m. on Monday to submit the paperwork required to get on the ballot.

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Julia McClain Downey, the director of state communications for Booker’s campaign, said that the New Jersey senator decided to forego a run in Vermont due to the state’s requirement that a candidate win at least 15 percent in order to be awarded any delegates.

Instead, she said, Booker’s campaign will direct resources to other states.

"We are focused on using our campaign's resources in the most efficient and effective way possible to win the Democratic primary and go on to defeat Donald Trump Donald John TrumpBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Trump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Pelosi: Trump Supreme Court pick 'threatens' Affordable Care Act MORE,” she said. “In this case, given Vermont's 15 percent threshold requirement to receive delegates, we have decided to direct our efforts elsewhere to best achieve our goals and objectives."

An aide to Booker said that Vermont’s 15 percent threshold combined with Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersTrump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Sanders tells Maher 'there will be a number of plans' to remove Trump if he loses Sirota reacts to report of harassment, doxing by Harris supporters MORE (I-Vt.) significant home state advantage there were behind the campaign’s decision to punt on the ballot-access requirements.

The aide noted that Vermont’s requirement that presidential candidates collect and verify 1,000 valid signatures to get on the primary ballot also factored into the campaign’s decision not to compete in Vermont.

Indeed, Sanders is the favorite to win his home state in the 2020 primary contest.

A Morning Consult survey released in July found Sanders to be the most popular senator in the country among his constituents with a 65-percent approval rating. And he trounced Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonThe Memo: Trump furor stokes fears of unrest Bloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida Hillicon Valley: Productivity, fatigue, cybersecurity emerge as top concerns amid pandemic | Facebook critics launch alternative oversight board | Google to temporarily bar election ads after polls close MORE in Vermont’s 2016 Democratic primary, scoring 86 percent of the vote to her roughly 14 percent.

But Booker’s decision to eschew the Vermont primary entirely may signal that his campaign doesn’t have the resources to compete in all of the same states as his rivals.

With only 23 delegates, the Vermont offers the fifth smallest delegate haul out of any state in the Democratic primary contest, meaning that by Booker’s not putting much at risk by not competing there. The state holds its primary on Super Tuesday along with 13 other states, including delegate-rich California and Texas.

He lagged far behind the Democratic primary field’s top tier in fundraising last quarter, bringing in roughly $6 million. And he has struggled to break out of low-single digits in national and early state polls – a trend that led to his failure to qualify for the next presidential debate on Thursday.

Still, he’s not the only candidate that won’t be on the primary ballot in Vermont. Also missing is Sen. Michael Bennet Michael Farrand BennetOVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' Senate Democrats demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency Next crisis, keep people working and give them raises MORE (D-Colo.) and former Rep. John Delaney John DelaneyCoronavirus Report: The Hill's Steve Clemons interviews Rep. Rodney Davis Eurasia Group founder Ian Bremmer says Trump right on China but wrong on WHO; CDC issues new guidance for large gatherings The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says country needs to rethink what 'policing' means; US cases surpass 2 million with no end to pandemic in sight MORE (D-Md.), two bottom-tier candidates who have tied their prospects in the Democratic nominating contest to strong finishes in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.

One other candidate, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, has not yet made it onto Vermont’s primary ballot, but was granted additional time to file a supplementary petition with the secretary of state’s office.