Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., raked in millions of dollars in campaign funds during the second fundraising quarter, his biggest haul ever, after his marathon speech on the Senate floor.
Booker’s Senate campaign and an affiliated joint fundraising committee raised $10 million from April through June, according to fundraising figures shared first with NBC News. It's the most money Booker has ever raised in a single quarter, including when he was running for president in 2019.
That fundraising period includes the aftermath of Booker’s marathon speech on the Senate floor. He called President Donald Trump's administration a “grave and urgent” threat in a speech lasting 25 hours, five minutes, breaking a Senate record on April 1 and helping energize Democrats who had been demoralized by a 2024 presidential campaign loss and the first few months of Trump’s second term.
Booker's campaign noted the vast majority of his donors gave $25 or less, which Booker also touted Thursday.
“These are really tough times, and I feel very blessed that our average donation is pretty small," Booker told NBC News at the Capitol. "We’re one of the handful of senators that don’t take corporate donations, don’t take big PAC donations. And I’ve really taken that anti-Citizens United pledge. So I think people recognize there’s an urgency to give those small-dollar contributions, especially in states like mine, where Trump so overperformed."
Booker, who is up for re-election next year, suggested a sizable fundraising haul could deter potential opponents.
"I'm hoping that people will continue to support our efforts and we can scare away competition in New Jersey and I can do what I’ve done in previous cycles, which is help as many other people as I can," Booker said.
The fundraising haul includes more than $9 million directly to his Senate campaign and several hundred thousand dollars more to his joint fundraising committee, known as the Booker Victory Fund, according to a Booker aide.
More than 200,000 unique donors gave to Booker's political operation in the second quarter. He ended June with $19.6 million on hand.
The totals are in the ballpark of what some other potential presidential contenders raised last quarter. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., raised $9.6 million in the first quarter, while Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., raised $8 million. Federal fundraising reports covering the second quarter are due Tuesday.
“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,” Booker campaign manager Adam Silverstein said in a statement. “We’re grateful for this tremendous support, and will continue building the campaign infrastructure needed to win in 2026 and support Democrats running up and down the ticket.”
Booker is up for re-election next year, and he is not expected to face a particularly difficult race in Democratic-leaning New Jersey, although the state is hosting a competitive governor’s race later this year. Trump lost the state by 6 points last year, a 10-point improvement on his 2020 margin, which was the second-largest swing toward Trump in any state.
Booker is also viewed as a potential presidential contender in 2028 after his unsuccessful 2020 presidential bid.
Booker did not rule out a possible presidential campaign in April on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” saying in part, “I’m focused on today and my re-election in ’26.”
But Booker may have provided a playbook for other Democrats who are pushing back against Trump. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., broke a record last week for the longest speech on the House floor as he protested Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill.
"I think what we need from leaders right now are people that are going to stand and fight. And I’ve seen that a lot of my colleagues understand the stakes and step out a lot more. And I think voters want to support leadership like that," Booker said.
"So I’m grateful to see, from Hakeem Jeffries to colleagues of mine here in the Senate, who are more and more understanding the stakes are so high, the damage that Donald Trump is doing is so morally devastating and hurtful to American families, that they want to support leadership that’s going to be effective in fighting back,” Booker added.
