Cory Booker — Democrat Candidate for U.S. Senate in New Jersey, 2026

Cory Booker advocates for significant immigration reform, including the reintroduction of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, which aims to phase out for-profit detention centers, end mandatory detention, and increase oversight. He opposes new ICE detention centers in New Jersey, citing concerns about community impact and management. Booker also supported a bipartisan bill to address the status of Dreamers, emphasizing it as a moral imperative.

““Delaney Hall, and every detention center like it, are a moral stain on our country. The conditions are an abdication of the federal government’s responsibility to care for those in its custody. GEO Group was awarded a 15-year, one billion dollar contract by the Department of Homeland Security to warehouse our immigrant neighbors. As taxpayers, we’re footing the bill for a system that is brutalizing those detained within it. Enough is enough,” said Senator Booker. “With the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, we can move away from this system of neglect and cruelty. We can strike a blow against the corrupt for-profit prison model of incarceration. We can guarantee due process for our immigrant neighbors and ban mandatory detentions. Doing this will safeguard our communities and it will” (Senator Cory Booker, booker.senate.gov/news/press, January 23, 2026)”

Cory Booker voted against a government funding bill because he believed it would lead to devastating increases in healthcare costs for Americans. He advocates for affordable healthcare access, stating that he will not stop fighting for it. He has also criticized healthcare compromises, emphasizing the need to lower costs and calling for Democrats to do more for the American people.

“This deal to fund and open the government is a loss for New Jerseyans and for millions of Americans who will suffer devastating increases in their health care costs, on top of the skyrocketing expenses they’re already facing in an economy that’s unfair and unaffordable for so many. That is why I voted against this bill. [...] The fight for more affordable health care is not over, but success will require Democrats to recognize we must do much more on behalf of the American people, and for Republicans to start listening to the people they represent instead of their political boss, Donald Trump. Americans are counting on us to address the most urgent challenges they are facing in their lives. I will not let up in this fight.” — Senator Cory Booker, Statement on Passage of Government Funding Bill, booker.senate.gov”

Cory Booker voted Nay on the 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act. He co-chairs the U.S. Senate Environmental Justice Caucus and has criticized the Trump administration for eliminating the EPA's ability to protect public health from climate change. His climate plan includes funding for renewable energy, pollution reduction, and investments in environmental justice communities. He was an original cosponsor of the Green New Deal resolution and proposed the Climate Stewardship Act.

“Donald Trump is once again sacrificing our future to protect polluters’ profit margins. The endangerment finding is the key legal foundation that directs the government to act on climate change to protect the health of Americans—and annihilating it will make it even more difficult for the federal government to enact policies to protect the environment and our public health. Environmental justice communities, which already face much higher rates of illness and shorter lifespans from exposure to heavy pollution, will be especially devastated. This disastrous decision reverses decades of progress and ignores decades of legal and scientific precedent, and its negative impacts won’t just be felt immediately, but for generations to come as well. — Senator Cory Booker, Co-Chair of the U.S. Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, February 12, 2026.”

Cory Booker supports abortion and reproductive rights, sponsoring a bill to roll back states' ability to limit abortion access. He voted in favor of cloture on motions to proceed to the Right to IVF Act and the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, both aimed at establishing statutory rights for assisted reproductive technologies and protecting abortion access. He advocates for protecting a woman's right to choose, and NARAL Pro-Choice America has commended his plan.

Cory Booker advocates for increased congressional oversight of military actions and spending, emphasizing accountability within the Pentagon's budget. He supported measures requiring Senate consent for NATO withdrawal and repealing the 2002 AUMF to reaffirm Congress' role in war. Booker also calls for reexamining the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia, citing human rights concerns, and has voted to end U.S. arms sales to the kingdom.

““Once again, the Senate has advanced a National Defense Authorization Act that significantly increases the Pentagon’s spending without ensuring proper oversight, transparency, or accountability into how that money is spent, especially at a moment when the Department of Defense is being politicized under Pete Hegseth’s reign.” - U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Statement on FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, October 09, 2025.”

Cory Booker advocates for educational equity, believing a student's zip code should not determine their life trajectory. He introduced the RAISE Act to increase teacher compensation through refundable tax credits and the Advanced Coursework Equity Act to improve underrepresented students' access to advanced courses. He also joined colleagues in requesting the Education Department revise guidance limiting student civic engagement activities.

Cory Booker supports stricter federal gun safety laws, including universal background checks and bans on high-capacity magazines and assault weapons. He reintroduced the Federal Firearm Licensing Act, which mandates background checks and proper training for gun ownership. He voted 'Yea' on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and 'Nay' on H.J.Res. 44, opposing the nullification of a rule regarding stabilizing braces. He cites gun violence in his Newark neighborhood and believes firearm licensing laws reduce gun-related deaths.

“Every day, Americans face the relentless scourge of gun violence, most recently the shooting at Brown University, which claimed the lives of two students and left nine others critically wounded. With each new tragedy, we are painfully reminded of Congress’s continued failure to pass commonsense legislation that could end this nightmare and finally make our communities safe. The data is clear: firearm licensing laws drastically reduce gun-related deaths,” said Senator Booker. “If a license is required to drive a car, it should be required to own a gun. TheFederal Firearm Licensing Act brings this common-sense idea to every community in the nation, mandating background checks and proper training before a license is issued. With this legislation, we could save lives, prevent gun violence, and finally make our communities safer.”