Sen. Cory Booker endorses Ben Jealous in his bid for Maryland governor

Former NAACP president Ben Jealous continues to pull in endorsements in his bid for Maryland governor.

The latest nod comes from U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

Fast, informative and written just for locals. Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning.

Booker called Jealous “one of the most compelling voices of the X Generation” and said he is “all in” to do whatever Jealous, a political neophyte, needs to help him win the 2018 Democratic nomination and unseat Gov. Larry Hogan (R).

Jealous is “a proven leader who brings an authentic voice,” said Booker, who described himself as a “raving fan.” He is part of “this next generation of leadership that brings with it an honoring of past tradition and innovative ideas in a more entrepreneurial way.”

On Thursday, Booker, who is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, plans to join Jealous for a meet-and-greet with voters in Prince George’s County, the home base of county executive and gubernatorial candidate Rushern L. Baker III.

Booker's endorsement comes just days after the Maryland/D.C. council of the Service Employees International Union, one of the state's largest unions, announced its support of Jealous's candidacy.

In the last several months, Jealous has also received support from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and several progressive groups, including Maryland Working Families and Our Revolution.

In addition to Baker and Jealous, other candidates in the Democratic gubernatorial nomination primary are Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz; state Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr.; attorney Jim Shea; tech entrepreneur Alec Ross; Krishanti Vignarajah, a former policy aide to Michelle Obama; and policy consultant Maya Rockeymoore Cummings.