Charles Booker for US Senate again? Kentucky activist mulling third run in 2026
It’s beginning to look a lot like 2020 — at least in one Kentucky Democratic primary.
Charles Booker is seriously considering a third run for U.S. Senate in 2026, according to a source familiar with his thinking.
Booker has not yet responded directly to a Herald-Leader request for comment on his 2026 plans.
Booker won the nomination in 2022, two years after coming from behind to nearly claim it in 2020 against Amy McGrath, who announced early this month she is running again in 2026.
In 2022, Booker fell to incumbent Republican Sen. Rand Paul by about 24 percentage points.
In both runs, Booker leaned into a progressive message. He focused on racial justice and economic inequality, touring the state with his “hood to the holler” slogan, making connections between poor urban centers like his native West Louisville and poor rural places like parts of Eastern Kentucky.
He almost caught lightning in a bottle in 2020 against McGrath, who had already raised millions when he got in the race, but fell short by about three percentage points in the Democratic primary. McGrath fell to Sen. Mitch McConnell, whose seat is open in 2026, that year by about 20 points.
Booker had been leading Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and Community Involvement before rumblings about his political future grew. In the weeks since he stepped down from that office last month, Booker, a former state representative from Louisville, has grown more active on social media and has become a mainstay at Democratic and progressive demonstrations like the massive “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump on Oct. 18.
The Democratic field for U.S. Senate in 2026 is already somewhat crowded, especially for a position that Democrats have failed to win since 1992. McGrath is running against House Minority Floor Leader Pamela Stevenson, D-Louisville; Logan Forsythe, a Lexington attorney and former U.S. Secret Service agent; and Joel Willett, a Louisville native and former CIA officer.
With Booker and Louisville horse trainer Dale Romans both reportedly eyeing runs, it could become a six-person race.
On the GOP side, three top candidates have emerged: former Attorney General Daniel Cameron, 6th Congressional District Rep. Andy Barr and Lexington tech entrepreneur Nate Morris. Michael Faris, an Elizabethtown businessman, is also running as a Republican.
Amid the rising chatter of Booker’s possible entry, the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling conducted a survey of 590 likely voters that pegged Booker as the frontrunner. The poll was shared with national outlet Salon. Conducted Oct. 17-18, 33% of survey respondents said they’d vote for Booker if the field was McGrath, Booker, Forsythe, Stevenson and Willett.
Booker’s favorability among those voters was 56% to McGrath’s 57%. His unfavorability rating was 12% to her 23%. The majority of voters had not heard of Willett, Forsythe or Stevenson, though the number is higher for Stevenson, who was the Democratic nominee for attorney general in 2023.
Though many in Kentucky Democratic circles had seen Booker as a potential candidate for Louisville mayor in 2026 against current Mayor Craig Greenberg, a Democrat who works closely with Frankfort Republicans, Booker shot down the rumors in a social media post.
“While I will always be a voice for the people of Louisville and fighting to preserve what makes this city great, I know the best way I can show up does not include me running for mayor,” Booker wrote on social media.
“I know my work isn’t done, and my passion to build coalitions from the hood to the holler and transform politics in this state and country must continue for towns and cities like our own to have a fighting shot,” he continued.
One potential roadblock to Booker’s future run could be the large amount of debt his campaign accrued in 2022.
As of June 30, his campaign from three years ago was still carrying nearly $130,000 in debt. Despite efforts to continue to fundraise after losing to Paul — his 2022 website is still live and taking donations — that total has not moved an inch as of the last publicly available report.
But things could change with a fresh campaign. The source close to Booker’s thinking told the Herald-Leader that, if Booker runs, there is a clear path forward out of the debt.
This story was originally published October 24, 2025 at 11:22 AM.
