New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker took the stage at the Iowa State Fair Saturday afternoon to another big crowd after Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, emphasizing unifying the country.

He opened his speech at the Des Moines Register political soapbox talking about his family in Iowa. He said he recently eulogized his great aunt Alma from Iowa, who attended some of his previous Iowa events, often wearing a tiara.

Booker’s family is from Buxton, Iowa, a now-ghost town, and referenced historical race divisions there when his great aunt and other relatives were younger there.

Throughout his speech, Booker emphasized he was running for president to encourage unity within the country between people of different backgrounds, races, and religions. He said the 2020 election would decide the character of the American people.

“This election is referendum on who we are,” Booker said, prefacing that he believed the election was not a referendum on Donald Trump or any one person.

He called the child care crisis a national security issue. “The greatest natural resource …is the genius of our children,” Booker said.

Called for higher paid public school teachers, guaranteed health care, universal prenatal care, affordable child care, and universal preschool in answer to an audience question about the “child care crisis.” He also pledged as president to guarantee paid family leave once and for all.

He also said he would support a tax credit for care givers.

Other questions from the audience included how he would support LGBTQ students in high schools and another person asked if he was willing to talk about cutting the defense military budget.

Booker, in response pledged to reduce wasteful spending in the military and increase trade and international aid throughout the world. He also said he would hire a secretary of education who had experience in public schools, referencing current Secretary Betsy Devos, who supports charter schools and vouchers for students to go to private schools.