Jon Bon Jovi sends fundraising plea for fellow New Jersey native Cory Booker

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi is playing a tune that transcends beyond the music realm. The rock star traded in his guitar pick for a computer keyboard Saturday to urge Senator Cory Booker's supporters to donate to his presidential campaign. 

The email tells recipients that the 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful "needs all of us" to help him hit the $1.7 million goal by the end of the campaign fundraising quarter, which ends Monday. 

"I believe we need to respond with a strong call for unity and a renewed sense of shared purpose. I can't think of anyone better than Cory Booker to rise to the challenge," Bon Jovi wrote in the email. "He is the right leader for this moment." 

Booker's presidential campaign manager wrote a memo to staff and supporters Sept. 21 stating he lacked the "tens of millions" of dollars from other campaigns to help with the presidential bid." As of 9:05 p.m. Saturday, Booker was about $168,400 shy of his fundraising goal, or about 81% there.  

Addisu Demissie, Booker's campaign manager, said his ability to stay in the 2020 presidential race depends would be determined by "the next 10 days."  

Bon Jovi has publicly supported Booker's campaign for several months -- even hosting a fundraiser for Booker's campaign at his home in the Hamptons in August. He and his wife Dorothea have also donated $5,600 — the maximum amount to be donated at this point in the campaign — to the campaign and Bon Jovi announced that his next album will be called "2020."  

Booker and Bon Jovi both grew up in New Jersey. 

"To put it simply, I think Cory Booker is a great man who would do an amazing job in the White House," Bon Jovi's email continued. "I'm lucky to call him a friend, and all of us would be lucky to call him our president." 

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• Jon Bon Jovi
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