U.S. Senator Cory Booker is supporting Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) for re-election in the 9th congressional district, giving Pascrell another high-profile backer in his Democratic primary against Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah.
“Bill Pascrell’s dedication to public service and determination to stand up for New Jersey has made our state a better place to live,” Booker said in a statement. “Bill has lived his entire life where he grew up in Paterson, and he’s never forgotten where he comes from. We see his passion for standing up for people who too often don’t have a voice in everything he does, and I can think of few members of Congress as dedicated to ensuring that government works for everyone than Bill Pascrell.”
Pascrell also has endorsements from a huge number of other Democrats both statewide and in the 9th district: Gov. Phil Murphy, all three of the district’s county Democratic organizations, and a wide array of local state legislators, county officials, and mayors.
That, combined with his huge fundraising advantage, makes Pascrell the substantial favorite against Khairullah, whose campaign originated with the North Jersey Muslim community’s frustration with Pascrell over his stances on the war in Gaza. (Paterson and its nearby suburbs have a large Muslim and Palestinian American population, though it only makes up a small portion of the district as a whole.)