Democrat Charles Booker strongly hints he'll challenge Rand Paul for Kentucky Senate seat


Charles Booker made a run at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) seat in 2020, but ultimately lost a tight Democratic primary race to Amy McGrath, whom McConnell defeated handily in the general election. Now, the 36-year-old seems ready to launch another campaign.
It'll be Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) turn to defend his seat in the upper chamber in 2022, and Booker, who announced Monday that he's "strongly considering" a run, seems likely to be his most high-profile challenger and the Democratic primary favorite.
Paul's seat appears to be fairly safe — he won by double digits in his previous two campaigns — but Booker's comments raised some eyebrows, especially since, if he does indeed run, he should have more weight behind him next year than he did in 2020, when he was an upstart candidate and McGrath had the backing of the national Democratic Party. Tim O'Donnell
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published