Booker and Buttigieg Announce their Candidacies for President
By Nate Feldman
Over the weekend, Cory Booker, a U.S. Senator from New Jersey, and Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana officially entered the already crowded field of Democratic candidates for President in the upcoming 2020 election. Both of them held large rallies in cities they have served as mayor. Before entering national politics, Booker was the mayor of Newark, New Jersey for seven years from 2006-2013. Buttigieg has been mayor of South Bend, Indiana since 2012.
Although they will be competing against one another, Booker and Buttigieg have some interesting similarities. Both take credit for transforming cities that had a reputation for being in decline. "We got people to invest here," Booker said at the launch of his campaign. "Newark is growing again," he added.
Buttigieg also touted his success as leader of his city. "More people are moving into South Bend than we've seen in a generation," he told the audience. "We've changed our trajectory and shown a path forward for communities like ours."
Another similarity between the two men is that they are pioneers in the political realm. Booker would be only the second president of African American background if elected. Buttigieg would be the first openly gay president.
Except for in a couple of occasions, Booker and Buttigieg tried to avoid talking about President Donald Trump, the man they are trying to unseat, directly during their speeches, and chose to instead focus more on the urgent issues facing the United States and their visions for the country.
While neither man is leading in polls for the Democratic party's nomination, both are hoping to gain momentum in the upcoming months that will lead them to victory.
