Many were excited that progressive state Rep. Charles Booker looked like he might just win the primary for the Kentucky Democratic Senate slot.
Alas, Chuck Schumer-backed corporate DNC swamp candidate Amy McGrath came out on top. The former Marine fighter pilot was declared the winner in a close race — McGrath received 45.4 percent of the vote; Booker garnered 42.6 percent.
While voting ended June 23, it took until June 30 to determine a winner due to the race’s tight margins and a flood of mail-in ballots, AP reported.
McGrath had lots more money and the old school Democratic machine behind her. She outspent Booker by a margin of nearly 10 to 1, Democracy Now reported.
McGrath raised more than $40 million by the start of June and built up a sizable advantage even before Primary Day, The New York Times reported.
Booker, who ran on Medicare for all and the Green New Deal, was surging in popularity in recent weeks as he participated in Black Lives Matter protests and spoke out against police brutality.
In a statement after the winner was declared, McGrath said that Booker had “tapped into and amplified the energy and anger of so many who are fed up with the status quo” and urged her party to come together to win in November.
McGrath will take on Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is seeking his seventh term, in November.
“The differences that separate Democrats are nothing compared to the chasm that exists between us and the politics and actions of Mitch McConnell,” she said.
In his statement, Booker spoke about being progressive. “We’ve proven you don’t have to pretend to be a Republican to run as a Democrat in Kentucky, and that people want big, bold solutions,” he said.
He also tweeted, “Kentucky, I am so proud of you. I truly hope I made you proud of me too. It is my honor to stand on the front line for you. We didn’t win at the ballot box, but what we have done is undeniable. I am humbled. I am grateful. From the hood to the holler, I love you.”
Booker supporter Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted in response, “Thank you for running, @Booker4KY. You inspired so many and showed that the people of Kentucky—and the country—want big, structural change. I know your righteous fights are far from over, and I’m as proud as ever to stand with you!”
A. Marmot Underground, @_Anunnery tweeted, “you were robbed of a rightful win from a racist establishment that prefers Mitch & Company. You should have won.”
Many saw the DNC’s heavy hand in the race.
“Establishment-aligned national Democrats, led by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, had effectively sought to coronate McGrath last year. By virtue of the large fund-raising list she built in her failed 2018 House race, and the contempt Democratic donors have for McConnell, they viewed her as someone who could run competitively and perhaps force Republicans to divert money to Kentucky,” The New York Times reported.
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 73: Jamarlin Martin Jamarlin makes the case for why this is a multi-factor rebellion vs. just protests about George Floyd. He discusses the Democratic Party’s sneaky relationship with the police in cities and states under Dem control, and why Joe Biden is a cop and the Steve Jobs of mass incarceration.
Booker is one of the growing number of Black progressives making waves on the political scene, along with New York’s Jamaal Bowman, who recently declared victory in the Democratic Party primary in New York State’s 16th Congressional seat. In their races, both had the backing of liberal Democrats such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Warren, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But other Black politicians including Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris didn’t endorse. In fact, in Bowman’s race, they endorsed his opponent, Rep. Eliot Engel.
