Cory Booker Endorses Patrick Murphy for Senate in 2016

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., announced on Wednesday that he is backing U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., in the race to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in the Senate. Rubio is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 and has said he will not run for a second term. 

"I am excited to endorse Patrick Murphy for the U.S. Senate,” Booker said on Wednesday. “We need fresh, new leadership like his to tackle this nation's challenges. Patrick will be a champion for working families, women, and our seniors in Florida and across the country, and his long-term vision to help the middle class is exactly what we need right now. I'm looking forward to working with him in the U.S. Senate."

"Sen. Booker is a rising star in the Democratic Party," said Murphy. "Since coming to the Senate in 2013, he has established himself as a fighter for New Jersey's middle class and is a powerful voice for a new generation of leaders in Washington.  I am honored to have his support, and am eager to work with him in the U.S. Senate."

Booker is the latest member of the Democratic leadership to get behind Murphy even as U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., continues to leave the door open to a Senate bid. Murphy has also reeled in the support of the  Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), former Gov. Charlie Crist and fellow members of the Florida delegation in the U.S. House.