Booker to keynote Dem gala in Iowa

The Iowa Democratic Party announced on Saturday that Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) will headline its 2018 Fall Gala next month.

“We’re so excited to welcome @CoryBooker as our keynote speaker for the 2018 Fall Gala! Get your tickets now — trust us, you won’t want to miss this one,” the party’s Twitter account posted Saturday afternoon.

We’re so excited to welcome @CoryBooker as our keynote speaker for the 2018 Fall Gala! Get your tickets now — trust us, you won’t want to miss this one: https://t.co/Sq1CEAH1QH pic.twitter.com/V2UTabR2B1

— Iowa Democrats (@iowademocrats) September 8, 2018

Tickets for the gala range from $25 to $10,000, according to the event page.

Booker is widely speculated to be a presidential contender in 2020. 

Booker, who’s not up for reelection this year, has wielded his sharp criticism of President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, as a way to stand out among other potential 2020 candidates.

{mosads}Republicans criticized Booker, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, for releasing “committee confidential” documents on Kavanaugh this week, with some calling the move an audition for 2020.

“Running for president is no excuse for violating the rules of the Senate or of confidentiality of the documents that we are privy to,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said.

But according to a spokesman for the Senate Judiciary Committee, Booker was not breaking any confidentiality rules. Tens of thousands of documents have been released to the committee under the label “committee confidential.”

Booker joins a number of other possible 2020 contenders who have already begun making visits to crucial states.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has so far made trips to Iowa, Florida and South Carolina, among others. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has visited Iowa, North Carolina and New Hampshire, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has visited Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) has made trips to Florida, Virginia and Ohio.