Charles Booker forms exploratory committee for US Senate run

Democrat Charles Booker, whose unabashedly progressive campaign in Kentucky came up just short in last year's Senate primary, said Monday that he's forming an exploratory committee as he weighs a follow-up race in 2022 against Republican incumbent Sen. Rand Paul.

Booker, a Black former state lawmaker, continued to tout themes of racial and economic justice, universal access to health care and environmental activism in taking a big step toward challenging Paul — a libertarian-leaning conservative and ally of former President Donald Trump.

“Kentuckians deserve a senator who will fight as hard for us as we fight for each other, and that's why I'm formally announcing an exploratory committee for US Senate,” Booker said in a news release. “We can, we will and we must build a future that works for all of us instead of just for a wealthy few.” Booker's announcement is a step short of officially launching his candidacy, but he's long been seen as a leading Democratic prospect for the 2022 Senate race in Kentucky. Forming an exploratory committee allows Booker to poll, travel the state, make phone calls and fundraise while testing the waters without officially declaring himself as a candidate.

Despite the strong name recognition Booker garnered in last year's Senate campaign, the former Louisville lawmaker would face an uphill fight against Paul in Republican-trending Kentucky — a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since Wendell Ford in 1992.

Last year, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell trounced well-funded Democratic challenger Amy McGrath, who narrowly defeated Booker in the state's Democratic primary.

Responding to Booker's announcement Monday, Paul spokeswoman Kelsey Cooper said Kentuckians “know there is no greater champion for the values they hold dear than” Paul.(AP) RUP RUP