New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker introduced his engagement to girlfriend Alexis Lewis this week, telling reporters he’d shocked her with a proposal in Hawaii.
Booker, 56, sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 — and his record-setting, 25-hour Senate speech warning that the “country is in crisis” earlier this 12 months sparked discuss of one other potential presidential run in 2028.
Booker instructed reporters Tuesday that he and Lewis had been in Kauai, Hawaii, and that certainly one of his mates instructed Lewis that they needed to shock Booker with a “traditional Hawaiian greeting.”
“She thought we were going down just to have leis put over us. And we walked out and there was a hula dancer, a Hawaiian dancer, a Polynesian dancer, and a guy with a ukulele. And then after their second song, other performers came up and sang a song that’s really meaningful to her, that she told me since one of our early dates, that she wants at her wedding,” he stated.
“And she was so overjoyed, dancing and singing along with the singers. And then she runs over to them and says, ‘Oh my god, this is the song that I wanted to be played at my wedding. Thank you so much.’ And then I interrupt her and said, ‘Honey, this is actually the song being performed at your engagement.’”
Booker added, “She said that that’s when she blacked out. I had to show her pictures of me on my knees to tell her I got on a knee.”
Lewis is a vice chairman of investments at Brasa Capital Management, an actual property funding agency, in accordance to the corporate’s web site. She beforehand labored as an financial growth aide within the Los Angeles mayor’s workplace.
Booker has by no means been married, and his private life has lengthy been the topic of scrutiny. During his first Senate run in 2013, the then-Newark mayor responded to his opponent’s insinuations that he could be homosexual by saying he had affirmed his sexual orientation many instances, but additionally arguing that it didn’t matter.
“The question really should not be whether I’m gay or straight, the question should be why the heck are you asking the question in the first place? It doesn’t make a whit of difference at what kind of senator I’m going to be or not,” Booker said in a 2013 interview with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes.
During his run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, Booker’s relationship with actress Rosario Dawson was within the information. The two cut up a number of years later, and social media commenters responded to the information of his engagement Tuesday by comparing Lewis’ looks with Dawson.
“Love Love! Congratulations you two!” Dawson commented on Booker’s engagement announcement on Instagram.
Booker may quickly be within the highlight in Washington, the place he vowed to “stand and fight” throughout this month’s upcoming price range battle, because the clock ticks down towards a authorities shutdown.
“I can’t speak to other senators’ consideration, but I’m going to say it as loud as I can, as often as I can, this is a time to stand and fight. This is a time to draw a line. We should — I am not giving my vote away to Donald Trump on a budget that’s going to hurt people,” Booker stated.
“I’m telling folks, this is a crossroads,” he stated. “I am standing and fighting against any kind of budget proposal that’s going to hurt Americans or hurt people in New Jersey. I believe there comes a time when everyone should stand up and fight for what’s right, and that’s what I intend to do.”