Cory Booker’s campaign manager released a memo warning that he may not be able to stay in the 2020 presidential race much longer without an influx of contributions in the next 10 days.
Addisu Demissie, his manager, released the memo to the public Saturday, dubbing its publication “radical transparency.” Demissie said that the campaign must raise an additional $1.7 million by the end of the third quarter of fundraising.
“Here’s the real talk: We have reached a critical moment, and time is running out. It’s now or never: The next 10 days will determine whether Cory Booker can stay in this race and compete to win the nomination,” the memo reads.
Booker’s fundraising has lagged behind others in the crowded primary field, bringing in $4.5 million in the second quarter of fundraising.
During a press call Saturday, Demissie confirmed that the memo means that if Booker does not raise $1.7 million before the end of the quarter, it is likely that he will drop out.
“If we’re not able to build the campaign organization, which can raise money that we need to win the nomination, Cory’s not going to continue running and consuming resources that are better used on beating Donald Trump,” Demissie said. “That’s about as much as I can say.”
The memo says there are “only four campaigns” that have the funds needed to successfully win the nomination, and the New Jersey senator’s is not one.
Demissie clarified that the four campaigns specified in the memo “with the money necessary to build and sustain the national organization needed to win the nomination” are those of the candidates who have raised the most money: Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders, all of whom are white.
“We have the most diverse Democratic field in history, and I think it would be a shame if that diversity was not reflected in the candidates who end up competing for the nomination once people start voting,” Demissie said.
We’re at a crossroads in this campaign. We need to raise $1.7 million by September 30 to be in a position to build the organization we need to compete for the nomination—and we can do it—but if we don’t, we don’t see a legitimate long-term path forward.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) September 21, 2019
Booker, 50, is one of 11 candidates who has qualified for the October debate, but he has failed to gain much traction compared to the others. Booker has not been polling well, but his campaign has repeatedly downplayed those polls, pointing rather to his bevy of endorsements from state officials and activists.
A RealClearPolitics national average of polls has Booker at 2.8% support, far below Biden, Warren and Sanders, who have 30.2%, 19.8%, and 16.6% support, respectively.
