Booker endorsed the former vice president amid significant establishment movement in the direction of Biden, who leads in the delegate count over Senator Bernie Sanders (664 to 573) in a quest to seal the Democratic nomination. Fellow Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) this weekend also endorsed Biden for president. In June, the junior senator will attempt to put down an insurrectionary primary challenge by progressive activist and leader Larry Hamm, who serves as chair of the Sanders Campaign in New Jersey. Hamm last week predicted the establishment and Booker would embrace a conventional primary as support for Biden solidifies post Super Tuesday.

Booker and Biden clashed on the debate stage when the New Jersey senator was himself a candidate for president.

From InsiderNJ columnist Fred Snowflack’s coverage of the candidates’ Detroit faceoff in August:

The former VP zeroed in on the police department, Biden said that under Booker’s leadership, Newark police routinely engaged in “stop and frisk.”  Critics say the policy allows police to stop and check
out individuals for no genuine reason.

Booker was ready.

“You’re dipping into the Kool-Aid and you don’t know the flavor,” Booker said, drawing laughs.

Booker said Newark Police had massive problems when he took over as mayor and that he was able to turn things around.

Booker was frequently sharp-elbowed around Biden as he jockeyed for relevance, seldom polled above 2%, and finally dropped out of the contest ahead of Iowa.

But he also stood up for his rival on at least one occasion in October of 2019.

As the Trump campaign launched a multimillion-dollar TV ad nationwide and in the four early voting states attacking Biden — which CNN is already refusing to air — Addisu Demissie, Cory Booker’s campaign manager, released the following statement:

“TV stations across the country, especially those reaching voters in the early states that will play a major role in selecting our nominee, should refuse to air these baseless ads meant to deceive voters. We all have a responsibility to do the right thing and prevent Trump from defaming an honorable man and public servant with straight-up lies. I should hope that stations in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina join CNN in refusing to air this garbage.”