Cory Booker's Sexual Orientation Becoming an Issue in NJ Senate Race

The Democratic nominee, who says the is straight, is trying to keep his personal life private

TRENTON, N.J. — Cory Booker says he's straight but doesn't mind questions about his sexualitybecause it challenges people's prejudices about gay people — a stance the scotch-drinking, cigar-smoking Steve Lonegan deems "kind of weird."

Speculation about Booker's sexuality — specifically, that the Newark, N.J., mayor is gay but keeping that a secret — took center stage in the Senate campaign this week. In a series of interviews with national media outlets, Booker and Lonegan raised the temperature in the special-election campaign with comments about an issue that has trailed Booker, who is single, since he first ran for office in Newark.