The Democratic race to challenge Mitch McConnell in Kentucky is getting intriguing

Amy McGrath.
(Image credit: Jason Davis/Getty Images)

Kentucky State Rep. Charles Booker (D) is gaining steam in his race against former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath for the right to face Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in Kentucky's senatorial election in November, Politico reports. McGrath is the favorite of the Democratic Party, and she's outspent her opponents by a combined 30-1 margin so far. But Booker has received endorsements from big-name congressional progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), as well as Kentucky's two largest newspapers. There's reportedly a hefty amount of enthusiasm for his campaign, and McGrath — whom Booker has suggested skates close to the Republican line — has had a bumpy road despite her resources. It all makes for a intriguing matchup.

But, in the end, there's a good chance it won't matter, aside from perhaps altering the long-term Democratic strategy in the Bluegrass State. When it comes to 2020, the Democratic Party doesn't think Kentucky is likely to flip, and the state is reportedly not central to their strategy for regaining a majority in the upper chamber.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.