CNN — 

As Democratic Sen. Cory Booker neared Strom Thurmond’s record for the longest speech in Senate history Tuesday night, the typically sparsely filled viewing galleries above the Senate floor grew packed.

Democratic Senate staffers and members of the public drawn in by the feat, like the many Democratic senators seated on the floor, listened intently to Booker’s speech protesting the Trump administration – not only to witness history, but also for a seemingly much-needed morale boost for a party locked out of power in Washington.

When Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rose, more than 24 hours into the New Jersey Democrat’s remarks, to announce that a new record had been set, Booker received a thunderous standing ovation that made the typical staid chamber feel more like a campaign rally.

Such expressions from the galleries usually are met with an admonishment from the presiding officer. But in this case, Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah, sensing the moment, let it pass uninterrupted.

In recent weeks, Democratic lawmakers have faced angry voters in their home states who feel their party hasn’t done enough to fight back against President Donald Trump and the Republican majority in Congress.

Booker’s remarks were part detailed policy critique of what he said the Trump administration is doing wrong and part soul-searching for what he thinks the Democratic Party needs to do to regain power. Democrats say the historic display was the jolt of energy their base needed, acknowledging that it’s what voters want to see from their party.

The New Jersey senator received more than 28,000 voicemails of encouragement, according to his office, and at one point, more than 300,000 people were tuned in across social media platforms to watch his speech.

“I was healing during the journey, because clearly, Democrats have made a lot of mistakes,” Booker told CNN’s Manu Raju on Wednesday, pointing to the the party’s sinking performance across the country in 2024.

“Look, we lost elections,” he said.

“There was a noble contest in this country for whose ideas, vision, communication, and we lost. We lost the Senate, we lost the House. And so I learned in college football, like, when you lose, don’t lose the lessons,” he continued, adding that Democrats “don’t have a singular leader” and are “a fractured party.”

Booker, who told Raju his “spirit is soaring” despite his weary body, said he didn’t know whether his speech will impact how his party strategizes its response to Trump and congressional Republicans. But, he said, “I’m hopeful again.”

People have written Booker letters with their fears about Trump’s actions, he said, noting: “Their anxiety is raising.”

“They want to see us fight. They want to see us use whatever tools we have,” Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California told CNN of voters.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal told CNN that he’s heard from “hundreds” of his constituents in Connecticut and around the country about “the spirit and energy that Senator Booker’s speech evoked.”

“It’s not just the length of time, but the substance and spirit behind that speech that are really evoking a lot of energy at this point from Democratic supporters,” he explained.

Appearing on CNN, pollster and communication strategist Frank Luntz noted the Democratic Party’s record low favorability numbers and suggested Booker’s speech amounts to “a reset.”

“It’s a narrow approach that says we can do better, and it humanizes these issues. And he said, we need leaders, not from Washington, but from the citizenry. And that was a powerful statement to me. I know that’s what Democrats are waiting to hear,” he said.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who watched Booker’s speech from the Senate floor Tuesday night as it became clear he would break the record, told reporters the speech “will be one of those moments that will continue to energize people across the country.”

“Above all else, he spoke from the heart, because this is a moment that requires every single one of us to stretch in ways that we may not have previously been called upon to do. And Cory Booker did it at an extraordinary level,” he told reporters Wednesday.

After yielding the Senate floor, having spoken for 25 hours and 5 minutes, Booker told reporters that “there’s a lot of people out there asking Democrats to do more and to take risks and do things differently.”

“I just think a lot of us have to do a lot more, including myself.”

CNN’s Manu Raju, Morgan Rimmer and Alison Main contributed to this report.