{"id":118465,"date":"2021-04-12T19:56:48","date_gmt":"2021-04-12T19:56:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=185415"},"modified":"2021-04-12T19:56:48","modified_gmt":"2021-04-12T19:56:48","slug":"we-can-shock-the-world-kentucky-progressive-charles-booker-considers-us-senate-run-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/04\/12\/we-can-shock-the-world-kentucky-progressive-charles-booker-considers-us-senate-run-2\/","title":{"rendered":"‘We Can Shock the World’: Kentucky Progressive Charles Booker Considers US Senate Run"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In a move swiftly cheered by progressives, Kentucky Democrat Charles Booker announced in a video message on Monday that he was forming an exploratory committee to consider running against Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul in 2022.<\/p>\n

“As Kentuckians, we know about tough times. But over these last few years, we have truly been through a lot,” said Booker in a statement. “It’s been hard, but as Kentuckians, we stood up and showed up for our neighbors, finding ways to uplift and help each other however we could.”<\/p>\n

“But even in a historic, unprecedented public health and economic crisis, most of our politicians couldn’t be bothered to do anything, voting against survival checks for working families and trying to take away our healthcare in order to give our money away to wealthy campaign donors,” he continued.<\/p>\n

According to Booker: “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 U.S. Senate. We can, we will, and we must build a future that works for all of us instead of just for a wealthy few.”<\/p>\n

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Kentuckians deserve a United States Senator who gives a damn about them.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Charles Booker (@Booker4KY) April 12, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

A former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, Booker gained national<\/a> attention last year for a primary race he narrowly lost<\/a> to establishment candidate Amy McGrath<\/a>, who was soundly defeated<\/a> by then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in November.<\/p>\n

In the Monday statement, Booker’s new committee celebrated his previous “insurgent” campaign as well as the progressive agenda and vision he ran on, including “healthcare for all, ambitious action to address the climate crisis, an end to generational poverty, and a visionary racial justice platform.”<\/p>\n

Booker reiterated that vision for Kentucky in the two-and-a-half minute video:<\/p>\n

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