State Rep. Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown, announced his endorsement of U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey Monday. Booker is one of about two dozen Democrats seeking to take on President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

“We have an extremely talented field to choose from. I’m very proud of the Democrats running for president,” Smith said.

He said his decision to back Booker came from positive interactions with the lawmaker. In his previous role as Iowa House minority leader, Smith met with Booker in Newark to discuss strategies for getting more Democrats elected to the state House.

“I found him to be very responsive, very helpful and I liked his stances on issues,” Smith said.

He said his interactions with Booker on the campaign trail in Iowa have been equally positive.

Booker has so far visited Marshalltown twice, once in February and once in May. He is one of several candidates to make stops in Central Iowa as they vie for caucus-goers’ support. The Democratic caucuses will be held Feb. 3, 2020 statewide.