Booker hauls in $10M after marathon speech, breaking personal record

Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-N.J.) Senate campaign said on Thursday it raised $10 million in the second quarter of the year, breaking a personal record in the wake of a marathon speech he gave on Capitol Hill that drew national headlines.

The haul includes funds raised for his Senate campaign account as well as the Booker Victory Fund, leaving the senator’s campaign with $19.6 million in the bank. 

Booker’s campaign said the second quarter numbers came from over 200,000 unique donors and 76 percent of the campaign’s donors were grassroots supporters who gave $25 or less to the campaign. 

The senator’s campaign manager Adam Silverstein said in a statement that Booker will continue to build the infrastructure needed to elect Democrats up and down the ballot in 2026. 

“This level of grassroots support reflects the energy and hunger for Cory’s kind of leadership in this pivotal moment - a willingness to stand up for what’s right no matter how tough or how long the fight,” Silverstein said. 

Booker is up reelection next year, but is expected to sail to victory in the blue state. However, the senator has repeatedly been floated as a potential 2028 presidential contender.

He made headlines earlier this year when he delivered a 25-hour speech on the Senate floor, criticizing President Trump’s policies. The speech broke former Sen. Strom Thurmond’s (S.C.) record, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes. The address was also viewed by many as an example other Democrats could use to hit back against Trump and congressional Republicans.

The New Jersey senator is the latest high-profile Democrat to post an impressive fundraising haul this quarter. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) raked in $8 million during the second quarter, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) raised $9.6 million.