Rising political star Cory Booker, currently the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, knows all about the gay rumors.

The 44 year old, who has never been married, says he is not bothered by the speculation and does not seem eager to clear it up one way or another.

‘…People who think I’m gay, some part of me thinks it’s wonderful. Because I want to challenge people on their homophobia,’ he tells the Washington Post.

‘I love seeing on Twitter when someone says I’m gay, and I say, "So what does it matter if I am? So be it. I hope you are not voting for me because you are making the presumption that I’m straight."’

Booker does say that it is to his ‘great dismay’ that ‘I have not settled down with a life partner.’

He is trying to become New Jersey’s first African-American senator. He faces Republican Steve Lonegan in a special election on 16 October to fill the seat left vacant by the late senator Frank Lautenberg.