Veronica Duron: Chief of staff, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)

In her winding path to Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-N.J.) office, Veronica Duron has played a role in the key legislative battles of the last 15 years.

Rising from fellow to staff assistant to legislative correspondent to legislative assistant under former Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas), Duron soon learned that House staffers wear a multitude of policy hats.

“I was doing banking and finance policy during Dodd Frank, was doing housing policy and education policy when we were doing the teacher bailouts. So it was exciting.”

Working for then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in 2017, Duron was among the staffers tasked with corralling the Democratic Caucus to defend the Affordable Care Act.

“We got everyone, we got [Sen. Joe] Manchin [(D-W.V.)] on board. And then this whole flurry of activity and then July, I remember [Arizona GOP Sen.] John McCain’s thumb down and then I was like, ‘oh, good. I can sleep now for a little bit,'” said Duron.

Duron moved to Booker’s office in 2019 as legislative director — a week before Booker announced his 2020 presidential run — and in 2021 was tapped as chief of staff.

“It’s funny, because it’s been 15 years now that I’ve been here, and about every two years, I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m done. It’s time to go.’”

“I never really thought of myself as a Hill person. I just knew that I kept working hard and believing in not only the policies, but in the people I was working for,” said Duron. “I don’t know that I would even now consider myself a Hill person, but I guess I am.”