Charles Booker (Kentucky politician)

Booker is a lifelong Kentuckian who grew up in a West Louisville family that knew what it meant to go without. He graduated from the University of Louisville and its Brandeis School of Law and is a Bingham fellow and a Bloomberg Innovation Delivery Team fellow.⁠[1][2]

Booker served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021, representing Louisville’s 43rd District.⁠[3][2][4]

In 2020 Booker ran in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary and narrowly lost to Amy McGrath.⁠[5][4]

On April 26, 2022, Crown published Booker’s book From the Hood to the Holler: A Story of Separate Worlds, Shared Dreams, and the Fight for America’s Future; he narrated the audiobook himself.⁠[2]

The same year he was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and lost to Republican incumbent Rand Paul by 23 points.⁠[5][4]

On December 3, 2025, Booker announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Mitch McConnell.⁠[3]

On May 19, 2026, Booker again faced Amy McGrath in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary; the Associated Press called the race for him that night with Booker at 47% and McGrath at 36%. He ran as a progressive, supporting Medicare for All, universal income, free public university tuition and federal renter protections.⁠[5]

After the win he said, “I am proud to be your Democratic nominee for United States Senate.”⁠[3]

At about 9:15 p.m. on November 3, 2026, the Associated Press called Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race for Republican Andy Barr; unofficial results showed Barr at 55% and Booker at 43%. During the general election Booker also campaigned for stronger worker protections and an end to the U.S. war in Iran.⁠[4][6]

In his concession speech he said, “We ran a race rooted in the truth.”⁠[4]

Booker founded the advocacy group Hood to the Holler, which continues the work of his campaign by building bridges between previously siloed communities.⁠[2]

Booker for the Commonwealth (campaign website): Official website: https://charlesbookerky.org/ (opens in a new window).⁠[1]

X: Public account: https://x.com/Booker4KY (opens in a new window).⁠[1]

YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: Public channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtw_5pir8O7aY9ZFePWCIgg (opens in a new window).⁠[1]