Cory Booker says Democrats are 'desperate' for fresh leaders
Source: USA Today
Updated May 24, 2026, 3:38 p.m. ET
The midterm elections are less than six months away, and one Democratic senator is sounding the alarm on the partys leadership and vision for the future. Speaking to Jake Tapper on CNNs "State of the Union" Sunday, May 24, Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, said the party "desperately needs new leadership," days after the Democratic National Committee released its much-anticipated autopsy of the 2024 election.
"We need to focus on the people, and the Democratic Party desperately needs new leadership, and that's what's exciting me about this cycle," Booker said. "It's not only new leaders emerging, but a new vision for our party."
New leaders vs. new leadership?
Booker pointed to three Democrats who he thinks represent the future of the party Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico and Roy Cooper, the former governor of North Carolina and current Senate candidate.
"People are suffering, people are hurting, and they're going to support the leaders," Booker said. "And I'm seeing this in Talarico, in Ossoff, in Cooper in North Carolina, that those leaders are stepping up and saying, 'I don't give a damn about parties. I care about people.' You cannot lead the people if they don't trust you, and that's what's lacking right now with the party apparatus."
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/05/24/cory-booker-democrats-ossoff-talarico-cooper/90244099007/
LuvLoogie
(8,937 posts)I want to see Kat get in office or become active in the party nationally.
duhneece
(4,528 posts)Husband and I always talk about our top 3
AOC, Jasmine Crockett and Melanie Stansbury.
Tetrachloride
(9,717 posts)party establishment is dishwater
msongs
(74,244 posts)travelingthrulife
(5,624 posts)AZJonnie
(4,054 posts)Somehow IQ47 being a nonstop braggart doesn't seem to hurt him, but we all know how he lives under a completely different standard than any Democrat when it comes to treatment by the media.
AverageOldGuy
(4,200 posts)If Biden had appointed Jones as Atty General instead of that senile old what's-his-name, the whole world would be different.
Polybius
(22,138 posts)If Doug Jones put Trump in jail, does Biden still initially run for reelection? Remember, he said that he ran for reelection because he thought that he was the only person who can beat Trump.
Who wins on the Republican side? DeSantis? Would he face? Harris? Ahh, so many hypothetical questions...
OhioBack2Blue
(206 posts)Republicans are going to lose their asses and so out comes stuff like this from their friends the Dems, who much prefer their meaner, older big brother stay in power doing the dirty work.
Ossoff, Talerico, and Cooper.... Why not just name Sherrod Brown or Mark Kelly, while he is at it?
Establishment, Establishment, Establishment - supply side economics, cruelty, Ayn Rand........something....something...
His whole policy stance, described as "market friendly" nibbles around the edges while leaving the corporate raiding of the middle class, racism, sexism, and hate in place. Baby bonds? Seriously? And for the childless seniors eating cat food? Pfft!
No. Hell no.
BumRushDaShow
(172,546 posts)It's not being "doused". It's been going full throttle from the "bottom up". It's been happening here in Philly for awhile.
I.e. everyone has seen our D.A. Larry Krasner, who hails from the progressive side of the party and is in his 3rd term. And over 2 election cycles, except for a lone GOP Council member, Republicans have been completely removed from our 17-member City Council -notably from the 7 "At Large" seats, where there is a requirement for at least 2 seats set aside for a "minority party", that until recently was the GOP, but has been supplanted with the "Working Families Party", who won both "minority party" seats.
And now, less than a week ago, my own soon-to-be member of Congress, Chris Rabb, hails from the Bernie/AOC wing. He'll join Sunmer Lee (also a progressive and improbable during the 2022 election), hailing from the Pittsburgh area, and part of the PA delegation.
DemocracyForever
(212 posts)That strategy has brought our country to the brink of becoming a fascist dictatorship. To say it's time for a leadership change is an understatement beyond words. Bravo to Senator Booker for raising this important issue.
BumRushDaShow
(172,546 posts)but is something that has been in existence since parties have existed centuries ago. It's all local fiefdoms that might interact with the state and national fiefdoms, to wield power that they believe will benefit party members, and hopefully society as a whole.
But the bigger issue is how to deal with "local/regional" concerns because there is no cookie cutter solution. That is why the struggle goes on and will continue that way for the foreseeable future, because there is no monolith of beliefs.