Addressing a Morristown campaign rally for area Democrats on Saturday, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) spoke of “the larger challenge of waking people up to the urgency of the moment.”
The former Newark mayor spoke at the Church of God in Christ, in Morristown’s hotly contested Second Ward.
The venue is not far from the Bethel AME Church, where Sidney Williams Jr., the GOP opponent of Democratic council candidate Hiliari Davis-Oyesanya, serves as pastor.
Booker compared his venue to church basements where strategies were planned during the Civil Rights movement, and to barns where the Underground Railroad took shape a century before.
“It’s rooms like this that have helped to execute all of these American dreams, make it real, make it substantive,” said Booker, who is writing a book.
Photos by Bill Lescohier and Berit Ollestad. Click icon below for slideshow captions
Speakers included Davis-Oyesanya and Justin Davis, who is running in the Fourth Ward against Councilwoman Alison Deeb. Chris Russo, the Democrats’ candidate in the First Ward (vying with Republican contender Bob Iannaccone) was there, too.
Additionally, the program featured Morris Township Committee candidates Jeff Grayzel and Cathy Wilson, Morris Freeholder candidate Brendan Keating, and state Assembly candidates Richard Corcoran and Tom Moran. County Democratic Chairman Chip Robinson also was on hand.
“For a United States senator to take his time to come here on a Saturday afternoon … is a testament to what he’s willing to do for the residents of the state of New Jersey, not just Morristown,” said Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty, who recounted how Booker spoke at his first campaign fundraiser more than five years ago.
“He really is for the people,” Dougherty said.
Justin Davis, who works for state Sen. Richard Codey (D-27th Dist.) predicted the worst voter turnout in 16 years.
“Rally the troops, that’s what it’s going to be all about,” Davis said.
