Newark Mayor Cory Booker, widely considered to be the frontrunner in the race to fill Frank Lautenberg’s Senate seat in New Jersey, said today that he is opposed to cutting Social Security benefits, including raising the retirement age.

At a midday Expand Social Security press conference conference in Trenton, at the New Jersey statehouse,Ai??PCCC co-founder Adam Green called on Booker to declare his support for expanding Social Security. PolitickerNJ reports:

ai???Social Security is more important than ever,ai??? said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

ai???Even in the red state of Kentucky, voters support the expansion of Social Security,ai??? he said. ai???There is no excuse for Democrats right here in the blue state of New Jersey not to.ai???

Green called out Newark Mayor Cory Booker by name, arguing itai??i??s especially important for the raceai??i??s frontrunner to ai???declare his supportai??? on the issue given Bookerai??i??s ties to Wall Street.

Following the press conference, Booker responded to a tweet from Jason Comstock, who asked, “Do you support cuts or other changes to Social Security or Medicare?” Booker replied, “No. None & if anything expand Social Security.”
Cory Booker says he opposes Social Security cuts

The PCCC’s Adam Green then asked Booker, “Do u consider raising retirement age a benefit cut?”, while Los Angeles blogger WhoDoes asked, “Do you consider Chained CPI or changing age of eligibility for benefits to be cuts to Social Security?”

Booker responded minutes later to both with one word responses: “Yes.”

PCCC's Adam Green asks Cory Booker if he thinks raising the retirement age is a cut to Social SecurityLA blogger WhoDoes asks Cory Booker if he thinks raising the retirement age is a cut to Social Security

In a statement, Green thanked Booker for his candor.