Hi, I'm Jonathan Kapart, and welcome to Cape Up.

I've known Corey Booker for more than 15 years, long before he was elected the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, or the junior senator from the

Garden State.

Back in the days when everyone said he would be president one day.

Well, Senator Booker is running for president now, but he hasn't caught fire.

Yet the candidate says not to worry about that.

So we talked about why he believes that, his vision for the country and the issues that drive him. And no moment was more searing than

when he talked about his personal experiences with gun violence.

These are kids who deserve the best of America and they've seen the best of America.

And they've seen the worst of it.

Hear more of Senator Corey Booker right now.

Senator Corey Booker, welcome to the podcast.

It's welcome to Newark.

I shouldn't say welcome to Newark.

Welcome back to Newark.

We have known each other for maybe 15 years.

I'm just gonna call you Corey.

Please. Please do not do the whole Senator call. Do you do that with other people? Do you call by their titles? Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I mean you worked hard for that title. Yeah. Unbeknownst to folks who are listening. Our history goes back so far as when you were trying to

convince me to leave New York City and come back to Newark, your pitch to me was, I'm going to mayor of Newark and I want you to be my

press secretary Newark born goes off to New York and comes back home to help turn

around the city and And I said no.

You did.

...