Cory Booker on Thursday was sworn into
the U.S. Senate.
The Democratic Booker is the first
African-American senator from New Jersey and is a strong supporter of
LGBT rights.
The oath was administered by Vice
President Joe Biden. Booker also met with President Barack Obama in
the White House Oval Office. (The video is embedded on this page.
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“10 minutes to swearing in,” Booker
tweeted before the ceremony. “Still in holding room. The bible
I'm using is one given to me by my mother & family for my 2006
Mayoral swearing in.”
Booker, the former mayor of Newark,
captured 55 percent of the vote to Republican Steve Lonegan's 44
percent during a special election held on October 16.
According to Gannett, Booker cast his
first vote as a senator immediately following his swearing in.
Last October, Booker headlined the
Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) annual National Dinner. In addressing
the estimated 3,000 attendees, Booker said that he was proud of
Obama's endorsement of gay marriage.
“I'm so proud of my president for all
he has done in this cause,” Booker said.
(Related: After
suggesting Cory Booker is gay, Steve Lonegan staffer fired.)