Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison is joining U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker for a rally in downtown Louisville on Tuesday, as the latter enters the homestretch of his grassroots, underdog campaign to unseat Republican incumbent Rand Paul.
The rally — which will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage — will also feature Kentucky Democratic Party Chairman Colmon Elridge and musical guest Marzz. (Those interested in attending can RSVP here.)
Booker, the Louisville-based 37-year-old who formerly served in the Kentucky House of Representatives, previously ran for the U.S. Senate in 2020, losing a tightly-contested primary to Amy McGrath, who ultimately lost in the general to Mitch McConnell. This time, Booker is setting his sights on Paul, the libertarian who is seeking another term.
Politically speaking, the two candidates are polar opposites.
Booker is a progressive who believes in universal healthcare, universal basic income, reparations, strong unions and pumping money into other federal programs. He has used his campaign slogan “From The Hood To The Holler” to symbolize the potential of state unity.
Paul, who is a budget hawk, voted against the COVID-relief-focused American Rescue Plan Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, two major pieces of federal legislation passed in 2021.
The balance of the U.S. Senate is tightly contested going into November’s elections, and both parties are currently scrambling for an edge. Right now, the Senate is made up of 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats and two Independents, who both caucus with the Democrats. The Democrats hold the majority due to the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris.
On Monday, Cheri Beasley, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, announced on Twitter the “Flippable Five Fund,” a fundraising effort with a donation portal focusing on what she said are the Senate races where Democrats have the “best chance to pick up seats this November and bring change to Washington.” The five were her, Tim Ryan in Ohio, Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin, Val Demings in Florida and John Fetterman in Pennsylvania.
Booker was not included.
But, a visit from the DNC Chairman does show a semblance of support and hopefulness from the national Democratic Party. Harrison will be in Louisville throughout the day, meeting with faith, business and labor leaders before Tuesday night’s rally.
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