Democrat Charles Booker advances in face off for McConnell’s Senate seat

A former state lawmaker has been chosen by Democrats to represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate race to replace Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell — the United States’ longest-serving Senate party leader who influenced a conservative shift in the judiciary system.

Former Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker will face off against Republican Rep. Andy Barr in the general election for the state’s U.S. Senate seat, scoring the most Democratic votes in the primary Tuesday. Barr, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, trounced former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron Tuesday night to clench the GOP nomination.

If Booker defeats Barr in November — an uphill battle in a conservative state — he would be the first Democrat to represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate since Wendell Ford left office in 1999.

“This is more than a race, this has been and is a mission. I am proud to be your nominee,” Booker said Tuesday night to a cheering crowd of his supporters in Louisville.

“There’s so much hate and there’s so much division. So many people are hurting. We are made to believe that we’re enemies, that we should look at one another and point the finger,” Booker said. “We’re not running away from the hate, we’re not going to let the wedges just drive us apart anymore, because we have so much more in common than whatever would divide us. We’re ready for this.”

Booker’s campaign focused on proposals like a general strike against the Trump Administration, universal basic income and Medicare For All. As a state representative, Booker sponsored bills involving voting rights, affordable healthcare, public safety reform and civil rights issues.

Booker was the youngest Black state legislator in Kentucky in around 90 years when he was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives at age 34 in 2018.

At 41 years old, the Louisville native has emerged victorious from a crowded primary.

Former fighter pilot Amy McGrath lost her bid for the seat. The Trump administration’s cuts to Medicaid, increased tariffs and an unsteady economy pushed her to run, she previously told the Herald-Leader. She also ran in 2020, when she defeated Booker in the primary but lost to McConnell.

Recent polling predicted her defeat. In a late March survey by Emerson College and FOX56, Booker had 36% of the vote compared to McGrath at 16%.

Five others lost their bids for the seat, including political newbie and Louisville horse trainer Dale Romans, and state Rep. Pamela Stevenson, a retired Air Force colonel.

Booker’s opponent for the general election heavily aligns with the Make America Great Again Movement. Barr has served as the U.S. Representative for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District since 2013.

Even so, Jeffrey Buford feels optimistic about Booker’s platform and its resonance with Democrats and Republicans, alike. Buford, attending Booker’s campaign watch party Tuesday in Louisville’s Portland neighborhood, doesn’t buy the argument that Kentuckians are more likely to elect a Republican simply because McConnell has occupied the seat for nearly four decades. “It’s time for change,” he said, citing the rising cost of gas and groceries. “No matter if you’re a Democrat and you’re poor, or you’re a Republican and you’re poor, it affects you the same. I think everyone now is looking for someone different.”

Amy Shir agreed: “These rising gas and grocery prices, lack of affordable housing, it’s breaking our budget.”

Kentucky remains one of the poorest states with the worst health outcomes – a fact that has not changed significantly since McConnell was first elected in the mid 1980s, she said.

“Kentucky is at the bottom of every metric,” she added. Booker’s platform championing equality and the working class is what the state needs, she said: “We need new leadership that represents the people of Kentucky.”

Around 48% of registered voters in Kentucky are Republican, 41% were Democrat and around 11% were independent or another affiliation as of early May, according to the state Board of Elections.

Booker previously ran for the seat and was defeated twice. He lost the 2020 Democratic primary to McGrath and lost the 2022 general election to Republican incumbent Rand Paul, the state’s other U.S. senator. Paul is up for reelection in 2028.

Booker hopes his third time’s the charm to flip this U.S. Senate seat blue.

“A lot of people have given up partisan politics, they feel like the party structure doesn’t care about them and doesn’t see them,” Booker said Tuesday. “Tell everyone you know something different is happening. This campaign is a testament to community.”

McConnell has served as senator since 1985. He was the Senate Majority Leader from 2015-2021, and Senate Minority Leader from 2021-2025.

Booker was a legislator in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2019-2021, representing parts of west and downtown Louisville.

As the founder of nonprofit Hood to the Holler, he “works to unite people of all socioeconomic backgrounds while fighting against big money in politics, voter suppression, and systemic corruption,” its website said.

Booker led the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and Community Involvement under Gov. Andy Beshear from 2023-2025. The office bridges the government, faith groups and nonprofits to deliver resources to underserved communities without duplicating services, according to the governor’s office’s website.

Booker also was the Director of Administrative Services of Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources from 2014-2015. He said this role helped him understand the challenges in rural and urban areas.

After the race was called for him Tuesday, with Barr speaking behind him on a television at his own campaign watch party, Booker called the race against Barr “one of the most winnable races in the country.”

“I’m still the underdog. I’m going to be outspent, (but) if you are ready for real change, this campaign is for you. If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, this campaign is for you,” Booker said. “If you’re tired of seeing tax breaks to people like Elon Musk and you want investment in our community, if you’re tired of endless war, this campaign is for you.

“I know people may say, ‘Charles, you’re radical. You’re this, you’re that.’ I’ve been called so many things,” he said. “Call me whatever you want. I’m standing for the people of Kentucky, and we will not back down.”

McGrath issued a statement thanking supporters and congratulating Booker Tuesday night.

“I know our shared values surrounding fairness, opportunity, dignity, and service will unite us all as we fight for this open seat in November,” she wrote.

This breaking story will be updated.

This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 10:13 PM.