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Cory Booker 2014 Senate Run: 'That's My Intention, But It's Over A Year Away' (VIDEO)

Booker On 2014 Senate Run: 'A Lot Could Change Between Now And Then'
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Politics Editor, The Huffington Post

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Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker (D) has established himself as one of the earliest names to enter the 2014 Elections conversation. For now, Booker is leaving it at that.

Booker filed papers last Tuesday to the Federal Election Commission, establishing the ability to create a campaign committee for a U.S. Senate run. As part of NBC's "Meet The Press" Sunday roundtable, the mayor was asked by host David Gregory if he has decided to square off with longtime incumbent Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).

Booker vowed that he has not ruled out anything to date. In order to explore a Senate run, the first step was the paperwork.

"You have to file the papers even to do research on the issue, even to travel on the issue," he explained. "And so we're complying with the law. Before we do any exploration of the Senate run, we've got to file, set an account. That's my intention, but it's over a year away, and a lot is going to change between now and then."

Gregory then pressed Booker on whether he had communicated with Lautenberg about his future plans.

"Again, this is really early," Booker said. "We've reached out to him. We even had a trip down here to speak with him, but he wasn't able to speak. Right now the senator, who I support, needs to focus on the debt ceiling, he needs to focus on funding for Sandy."

In conjunction with Booker filing his Senate papers last week, rumblings surfaced that the 88-year-old Lautenberg was headed for retirement. A Lautenberg spokesman denounced that rumor Friday, labeling it as "simply not true."

Back in December, word broke that Booker was passing on a New Jersey gubernatorial run against incumbent Gov. Chris Christie (R), opting instead to test the U.S.-Senate waters. A Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released last Thursday found Booker with more than a 2-to-1 edge over Lautenberg among 700 Garden State voters.

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Before You Go

New Senators Of The 113th Congress
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) (01 of14)
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U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) (L) participates in a reenacted swearing-in with his wife Cheryl Flake (C) and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol January 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)(02 of14)
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Vice President Joe Biden administers the Senate Oath to Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., accompanied by his wife Catherine and sons Rider and Owen, right, during a mock swearing in ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, as the 113th Congress officially began. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) (credit:AP)
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) (03 of14)
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U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) (L) participates in a reenacted swearing-in with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol January 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) (04 of14)
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U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) (L) participates in a reenacted swearing-in with his wife Jill Donnelly and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol January 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) (05 of14)
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U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) (L) participates in a reenacted swearing-in with her husband Bruce Mann and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol January 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) (06 of14)
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U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) (L) participates in a reenacted swearing-in with his wife Mary Herman and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol January 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) (07 of14)
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U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) (L) participates in a reenacted swearing-in with her husband Darwin Lange (C) and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol January 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)(08 of14)
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Vice President Joe Biden administers the Senate Oath to Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., accompanied by her husband Bruce Fischer, during a mock swearing in ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, as the 113th Congress officially began. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) (credit:AP)
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) (09 of14)
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U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) (2nd L) participates in a reenacted swearing-in with his wife Julie Heinrich, sons Carter and Micah, and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol January 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)CORRECTION: A previous version of this image mislabeled Sen. Heinrich's party affiliation. He is a Democrat. (credit:Getty )
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.)(10 of14)
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U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) (L) participates in a mock swearing-in with his mother Frances Scott and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol January 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)(11 of14)
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) (L) participates in a reenacted swearing-in with his wife Heidi Nelson Cruz, daughters Caroline and Catherine, and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (R) in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol January 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)(12 of14)
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U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) (L) participates in a reenacted swearing-in with his wife Anne Bright Holton and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol January 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)(13 of14)
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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 03: U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) (L) participates in a reenacted swearing-in with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol January 3, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) (14 of14)
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Vice President Joe Biden, right, re-enacts the swearing in of Sen. Brian Emanuel Schatz, D-Hawaii., left, as wife Linda Schatz, holds the bible and watches at center, during a ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (credit:AP)
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