Charles Booker launches another Senate bid in Kentucky

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By BRUCE SCHREINER

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Democrat Charles Booker launched another campaign for the U.S. Senate on Thursday, reprising his “hood to the holler” theme in hopes of forging an urban-rural coalition powerful enough to unseat Republican incumbent Rand Paul next year in Kentucky.

Booker, a Black former state lawmaker, rose to prominence in 2020 by touting racial and economic justice themes that coincided with protests that erupted in Louisville and elsewhere nationwide over the deaths of Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans in encounters with police.

Booker narrowly lost last year’s Democratic primary to an establishment-backed rival, who was trounced by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell in the general election in GOP-leaning Kentucky. Booker, who served one term in the legislature, is promoting the same unabashedly progressive agenda in his latest campaign against the libertarian-leaning Paul.

“This really is going to be a conversation about the challenges Kentuckians are facing, and how we push for structural change so that we can heal our commonwealth,” Booker said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.



FILE - In this Feb. 19, 2020, file photo, state Rep. Charles Booker advocates for the passage of Kentucky HB-12 on the floor of the House of Representatives in the State Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. Booker launched another campaign for the U.S. Senate on Thursday, July 1, 2021, reprising his “hood to the holler” theme in hopes of forging an urban-rural coalition powerful enough to unseat Republican incumbent Rand Paul next year in Kentucky. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-senate-elections-race-and-ethnicity-business-election-2020-1aad770e9002eb0aafe0dde32b6e1187

[Lonestarblue]

1. Good luck to him--I would love to see Rand Paul defeated.

I have doubts that Booker will win because Ky is very red outside of the major cities, but I don’t see that Paul has ever done much for the state.

[Ray Bruns]

2. last year's Democratic primary to an establishment-backed rival,

That Rival was Amy McGrath. A wonderful candidate who should have won.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. Sure, but she didn't. And she didn't come close. Perhaps he would have been stronger

He seemingly was eliciting more grass roots fervor. I donated to McGrath in the General and stayed out of the primary, but that was then and this is now. At this point, given recent history, I would support him over McGrath if she tried for the nomination again.

[INdemo]

8. Well there again as in 2014 it was a very close race with McConnel and then on election day he won

by double digit. A Senator with 23% approval in Kentucky won?
In the 2014 McConnel faced Amy Grimes in a very close race which McConnell ended up winning by 14+% with votes from a heavily Democratic District??

[RussBLib]

9. a little fishy, no?

Can we say with 100% confidence that the election was on the up-and-up?

[Corgigal]

5. She had two shots.

She doesn’t live here anymore. Let’s trt something new.

[Ray Bruns]

7. I thought she lived in Georgetown, KY still.

[Corgigal]

10. I thought she lives near

Washington DC. Might have a few houses, her mother lives in Georgetown.

[kickitup]

6. Amy McGrath could not even beat Andy Barr in a prior election.

She was not a good candidate.

That said, Booker won't win either.

Edit: Rocky Adkins could probably beat Rand Paul, but that's because Rocky is a pro-life Democrat. Abortion is the deciding factor with the greatest number of these voters. I live here. Right in the middle of it about stone's throw from Kim Davis's church.

You can beat your head against a brick wall only so many times.

[Corgigal]

11. I live near Lexington

and I will enjoy watching Booker take on Rand Paul. Will he win? Yeah, probably not but he’s a better fighter then Amy, and I would just like to see someone bring it to Paul. Our Russian asset needs to be tested.
I have never been impressed with Rocky Adkins, but only met him twice. Andy Beshear, is an impressive politician.

[summer_in_TX]

16. Unfortunately Amy McGrath was underprepared for her debate. Lackluster.

So many missed opportunities to make specific points and refer to particular parts of McConnell's record. No zingers. Disappointing.

Her service record made her seem like a terrific candidate. I think the primary should be interesting. Whoever the candidate is must be first rate at speaking and debate and have the kind of campaign support to ensure they are super prepared to appear against Rand.

[Corgigal]

4. Hurray, finally.

&feature=share

[SKKY]

12. Run the numbers up in Louisville and Lexington...

...it's really his best shot. I'm hopeful, but not particularly optimistic. Kentucky will cut off its nose to spite its face.

[Bayard]

13. I fully supported Amy McGrath here

And I will fully support Booker. But I think the game is rigged.

[BradAllison]

14. Might as well give him a shot

I was told last time he had no chance, and we needed to run a candidate whose argument was "Trump is only bad because of Mitch".

[rpannier]

15. I wish him luck. I will donate

While I'd like to see Matt Jones run, I like Booker