Cory Booker is the mayor of Newark, N.J. He took the oath of office as Mayor of New Jersey’s largest city in 2006 and was elected to a second term in 2010. In the summer of 1999, he went on a 10-day hunger strike in one of the most drug-infested housing complexes in Newark, an effort that resulted in increased police presence and improved security for residents. For five months in 2000, Booker took to the streets; he lived in a motor home and parked it on the worst drug corners in the city, inspiring residents and businesses to fight against drug dealing and crime. For this, TIME magazine called him "The Savior of Newark," and he proved to the city and the nation that he is dedicated to fighting inner-city problems. Booker’s political career began in 1998, after serving as staff attorney for the Urban Justice Center in Newark.