Report: Booker plans eight cross-country fundraisers for Senate bid

While Newark Mayor Cory Booker has said he won't officially announce that he's running for the Senate until after his state's gubernatorial election later this year, a new report suggests the popular Democrat is already planning a series of cross-country fundraisers.

According to Political Party Time, a blog that tracks political fundraisers, Booker has scheduled at least eight fundraisers over the next two months in support of his "Cory Booker for Senate" campaign committee.

The first reception — a $5,200 lunch reception in Manhattan — is next week, with a March 21 event at the law offices of Quinn Emanuel. Other fundraisers will be held in his hometown of Newark, as well as Florida, California, and Washington D.C.

Booker's D.C. reception costs $100 to attend, is targeted at young professionals, and will be held at Adams Morgan cocktail bar Jack Rose. One of Booker's California stops, at the home of film producer Jerry Weintraub, features director Steven Spielberg, actor Bruce Willis, producer J.J. Abrams, and director Rob Reiner on the invitation. 

Booker has strongly hinted that he plans to seek the seat of retiring Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.). The 89-year old is the oldest member of the Senate, and he announced last month he was retiring. Polls at the time showed him significantly trailing Booker in a potential primary challenge.

In a poll released earlier this week by Fairleigh Dickinson University, half of Democratic primary voters said they hoped Booker emerged as their party's nominee. Neither Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) nor Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.), both of whom have expressed interest in a run, cracked double digits.

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