Cory Booker Hints He's Being Vetted For Hillary Clinton VP Pick

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is fueling speculation that he is being vetted to be Hillary Clinton's vice presidential running mate.

The former Newark, New Jersey, mayor's name has been floated as a possible running mate for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. In a weekend appearance on CNN, he seemed to all but confirm the rumors.

When asked flat-out by CNN’s Brianna Keilar whether he was being vetted for the vice presidency, Booker said he was "referring questions about the vice presidency to the woman that’s going to have to make this decision."

“You should talk to the Hillary Clinton campaign," he continued. "What I do know is that on the Democratic side, there are many fabulous candidates — people that could be really strong vice presidential candidates.”

“That is not a no, sir,” Keilar said. “That is not a no.”

“That is exactly what it is,” Booker said, smiling. “It’s telling you if you have a question like that, please direct it to the Clinton campaign.”

The non-denial is a far cry from last month, when Booker was saying straight-up that he was not being considered for the vice presidency. Unlike on the Republican side, where Donald Trump has publicized meetings with potential running mates, the Clinton campaign has largely kept a tight lid on those proceedings.

Booker joins Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine and others on a list of people believed to be candidates for Clinton's vice president.

But there's a big reason why Clinton may ultimately go in a different direction than Booker.

If chosen, Booker's Senate seat would be vacant, and his replacement would be appointed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a staunch conservative and possible Republican vice presidential pick himself.

The Clinton campaign may not want to give up a seat in the Senate, where Democrats are fighting to reclaim their majority, for a running mate.

Booker was born in Washington, D.C., and played football at Stanford before studying at Oxford University and Yale. He served on Newark's City Council from 1998 to 2002, when he became the city's mayor. Booker was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2013 in a special election, becoming the first black senator from New Jersey and the first black senator elected since Barack Obama in 2004.

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