KY-SEN: A Progressive Democrat Makes a Long-Shot Senate Bid in Red Kentucky
Charles Booker, a progressive former state lawmaker in Kentucky, announced on Wednesday that he would seek to succeed Senator Mitch McConnell, the retiring former Republican leader — a long-shot attempt that underscores Democrats’ hopes of competing in red states on an unfriendly Senate map.
Mr. Booker, who served in Kentucky’s House of Representatives and twice ran unsuccessfully for Senate, is hoping that in his third attempt, his message of empowering workers and supporting the poor will resonate at a time when many Americans are increasingly anxious about the cost of living.
In his announcement video, Mr. Booker called for more affordable housing and universal child care “so raising our families isn’t so damn hard.” And he floated a policy proposal called 40-for-40: a guaranteed $40,000 yearly minimum wage for anyone who works at least 40 hours a week.
Mr. Booker’s run in deeply conservative Kentucky comes on the heels of several impressive showings for Democrats, who spent much of the year licking their wounds after President Trump’s return to power.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/us/politics/charles-booker-senate-kentucky.html