Cory Booker beat Republican Justin Murphy to win another term as New Jersey’s senior senator.
Cory Booker is New Jersey’s senior senator and one of the most widely known Democrats in the Senate. He was the first Black person elected to the Senate from New Jersey.
Booker studied at Stanford, won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, and earned a law degree from Yale. He served on Newark’s city council, then became mayor of Newark in 2006. He ran the state’s largest city for seven years, working on crime and rebuilding.
In 2013, Booker won a special election to the Senate after Senator Frank Lautenberg died in office. Voters returned him to the Senate in 2014 and again in 2020.
On Tuesday, Booker defeated Justin Murphy, his Republican challenger. The Associated Press called the race at 8:01 p.m. ET, just after New Jersey’s polls closed.
His win matters because it keeps a safe Democratic seat in Democratic hands, and Booker remains a senior voice in his party. Watch his next steps — he ran for president in 2020, and his name still comes up when Democrats talk about national leaders.
Fast facts
- Age: 57
- Party: Democratic
- Office: U.S. Senator
- State: New Jersey
- Previous job: Mayor of Newark (2006–2013)
- Called by AP: 8:01 p.m. ET, Nov. 3, 2026
Part of the Zark News Election 2026 winners profile series. Winners are listed as called by the Associated Press.
