McGrath sends a signal to moderates, endorses Biden ahead of Iowa caucuses
In a signal to Kentucky’s moderate voters, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Amy McGrath endorsed former Vice President ahead of the Iowa Democratic caucuses Tuesday.
“Democrats have a slate of serious and thoughtful presidential candidates this year whose ideas and policy goals span our ‘big tent’ party,” McGrath wrote in a statement. “While some Democrats believe the challenges we face as a nation demand revolutionary action, others — like me — believe the best path forward is to start by unifying our country and delivering results for American families.”
McGrath’s endorsement doesn’t mean much to Biden’s chances in the Democratic primary for president. He’s been the front-runner in the race for months, she’s never held elected office and isn’t one of the superdelegates that the Democratic Party uses when nominating a candidate.
It does, however, make clear to Kentuckians where she falls on the broad spectrum of Democratic candidates running for the chance to take on President Donald Trump, establishing her as a moderate as she faces pressure from progressives in her own Democratic primary.
“Amy McGrath has proved that Democrats can be competitive candidates in even the reddest districts and states in the country,” Greg Schultz, Biden’s campaign manager, wrote in a statement. “And she doesn’t back down from any fight. We are honored to welcome Amy to Team Joe in the fight for the soul of our nation and look forward to taking down Mitch McConnell and taking back the Senate.”
McGrath has had ties to Biden since she first ran for office in 2018. Shortly after she upset former Lexington mayor Jim Gray in the Democratic primary, Biden called to offer her congratulations. Months later he came to Bath County for a fish fry to help her build up support heading into the November election that she eventually lost by 3 percentage points.
The event in Owingsville gave an early preview of what would become Biden’s presidential campaign, stressing the need for people to cast votes to reject Trump’s brand of politics.
“Our basic American values are under assault,” Biden told the crowd that day. “Values the folks right here in Bath County teach their children every day, about decency, respect, leaving no one behind, giving hate no safe harbor.”
It matched the type of language McGrath has used since she started campaigning in 2017. McGrath branded herself as a former independent who was focused on putting her country above her political party in order to help make Washington D.C. work properly. That branding was quickly overwhelmed by Republican attack ads, complete with a clip of her describing herself as “more progressive” than anyone in Kentucky.
McGrath instantly tried to reclaim the narrative for her Senate bid. Rather than go directly at Trump, her campaign has tried to create space between U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (her potential opponent) and Trump, saying McConnell is standing in the way of Trump’s agenda.
It’s a difficult needle to thread as McConnell has worked closely with the White House, especially during the impeachment proceedings where he helped form the rules of the impeachment trial in the Trump administration’s favor.
It has led to a backlash among some progressive Democrats tired of decades of being forced to vote for a moderate in statewide elections. State Rep. Charles Booker, D-Louisville, has launched an unapologetically progressive campaign, embracing a platform that includes a universal basic income, the “Green New Deal” and support for single-payer healthcare.
Biden has similarly been running as a moderate, eschewing the more progressive policies of Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders in favor of a nostalgic plea to Democrats to help him return politics to the way it was before Trump.
McGrath hailed his ability to cross party lines in her endorsement.
“Throughout his career in public service, Joe Biden has always stood with working people in Kentucky and across our great country,” McGrath wrote. “It’s why he’s respected and beloved by Democrats and Republicans alike. Joe is the Democrat who can bring our country together, restore our reputation abroad and bring real change to a nation torn apart by partisanship. We need that now more than ever.”
This story was originally published January 31, 2020 at 9:51 AM.
