Cory Booker says he is ‘exploring’ run for Senate

Newark New Jersey mayor Cory Booker announced Thursday he is considering running for Senate, not New Jersey governor.

"Let there be no doubt, I will complete my full second term as mayor," Booker wrote in a column for the New Jersey Star-Ledger. "As for my political future, I will explore the possibility of running for the United States Senate in 2014."

More from GlobalPost: Cory Booker considering run for NJ governor, Senate

Booker, a Democrat, has been contemplating his next move over the past few weeks and there has been speculation that he would challenge the state's current, popular governor Chris Christie next year, the Associated Press reported.

If he runs, Booker will either run to replace Democrat Frank Lautenberg's seat in New Jersey or run against the long-time politician, USA TODAY reported. Lautenberg has not yet announced if he will retire.

Lautenberg told Roll Call last month he is concentrating on fiscal matters and the state's recovering from Superstorm Sandy.