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Cory Booker files paperwork for U.S. Senate; how's he done against the Truth-O-Meter?

New Jersey

Newark Mayor Cory Booker took aim at Gov. Chris Christie at a Planned Parenthood rally during the Democratic National Convention.

By Caryn Shinske January 11, 2013

Cory Booker running for a New Jersey Senate seat in 2014 isn’t just speculation anymore after Newark’s mayor filed paperwork that makes his candidacy more likely.

Booker, a Democrat, filed paperwork on Jan. 8 that sets up a Senate run.

Still unknown is whether Democrat Frank Lautenberg will run for re-election that year. Lautenberg is serving his fifth term in office. The Star-Ledger reported Friday that Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th) could also challenge Booker.

PolitiFact New Jersey looked back at some of our fact-checks on Booker claims after he announced on Dec. 20, 2012 that he would mull a Senate run instead of challenging Republican Chris Christie in this year’s gubernatorial election.

Review those claims here.

To comment on this story, go to NJ.com.

See original rulings

stated on January 14, 2014 in a State of the State address:

"Today, our unemployment rate is 7.8 percent. That is the lowest in five years."

mostly-true

mostly-true

stated on December 19, 2013 in an Assembly session:

"What do Rutgers University, Kean University, Montclair State University, New Jersey City University, Stockton College, Rowan University and William Paterson all have in common? They all graduate less than 50 percent of their students within four years."

true

true

stated on December 30, 2013 in a column on BlueJersey.com:

Says New Jersey has "the highest unemployment rate in the region" and "stagnant job growth."

half-true

half-true

stated on November 30, 2013 in an interview on NJTV's 'On the Record' with Michael Aron program:

"This governor has given us continual balanced budgets without raising taxes."

half-true

half-true

stated on December 2, 2013 in response to subpoenas being sent out over a bridge lane-closure controversy:

"The fact that one town has three lanes dedicated to it, that kind of gets me sauced."

pants-fire

pants-fire

Loretta Weinberg

stated on November 14, 2013 in an interview on the John Gambling radio program:

"We pay among the highest tolls in the nation for the privilege of crossing that bridge."

true

true

stated on November 10, 2013 in interviews on four Sunday morning news shows:

Says New Jersey has gained "143,000 new private-sector jobs."

true

true

stated on November 2, 2013 in a response to a public school teacher:

"In fact, there’s more state funding for education today than any other time."

true

true

stated on October 21, 2013 in a gubernatorial campaign TV ad:

Says Barbara Buono "voted to raise her own pay 40 percent."

mostly-true

mostly-true

stated on October 7, 2013 in a speech to an American Legion in Little Ferry:

"Property taxes have increased 20 percent under four years of Chris Christie."

mostly-true

mostly-true

stated on October 8, 2013 in a speech to supporters in Carlstadt:

Chris Christie "has not increased the taxes on anyone."

half-true

half-true

stated on September 23, 2013 in an interview on the John Gambling radio show:

"Violent crime is up since the last year of Sharpe James’ administration. This year it’s higher. … The unemployment rate is almost 15 percent. The high school dropout rate is over 50 percent."

half-true

half-true

stated on September 23, 2013 in an interview on the John Gambling radio program:

"I would be the first Republican senator elected in New Jersey in 41 years."

true

true

stated on August 23, 2013 in a speech to students at the Rutgers New Brunswick campus:

Tuition at Rutgers has increased 10 percent since Gov. Chris Christie took office because he "cut funding for higher education."

half-true

half-true

stated on September 10, 2013 in an e-mailed campaign letter:

Newark is "now home to one-third of all commercial and multi-family development."

half-true

half-true

Instagram posts
stated on August 27, 2024 in an Instagram post:

California S.B. 1174 eliminates the requirement for voter ID at polling places.

By Sofia Ahmed • August 30, 2024
X posts
stated on August 29, 2024 in X posts:

President Joe Biden “did a campaign ad at the graves in Arlington in 2020.”

By Loreben Tuquero • August 30, 2024
X posts
stated on August 16, 2024 in a video:

Video shows “Kamala Harris describing how she can ruin lives with the 'swipe of a pen.’"

By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu • August 30, 2024
Facebook posts
stated on August 25, 2024 in a post:

Kamala Harris’ “plan to tax unrecognized Capital Gains mean(s) if your house goes up in value you will have to pay that Tax Even if you don’t sell your House!”

By Sara Swann • August 30, 2024
Facebook posts
stated on August 25, 2024 in a Facebook post:

“There’s no such thing as menopause.”

By Madison Czopek • August 30, 2024
Instagram posts
stated on August 27, 2024 in an Instagram post:

“Hollywood actor Kurt Russell just said: ‘It is now proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden CHEATED in the 2020 election with mail-in ballots.’”

By Caleb McCullough • August 30, 2024
Kamala Harris
stated on August 22, 2024 in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention:

Former President Donald Trump "intends to enact what, in effect, is a national sales tax ... that would raise prices on middle-class families by almost $4,000 a year."

By Louis Jacobson • August 30, 2024
Viral image
stated on August 27, 2024 in a Facebook post:

“Kurt Russell forms a new non-woke actors alliance with Roseanne Barr and Tim Allen.”

By Ciara O'Rourke • August 30, 2024
Viral image
stated on August 23, 2024 in an X post:

Photo of former President Donald Trump after an assassination attempt was generated by artificial intelligence.

By Ciara O'Rourke • August 30, 2024
X posts
stated on August 28, 2024 in an X post:

C-SPAN captions for a JD Vance speech said, “Single person clapping.”

By Ciara O'Rourke • August 30, 2024