LOUISVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Charles Booker, Kentucky's Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, could make history if he wins on Tuesday night. He would be the first Black candidate elected by Kentucky to the United States Senate.
In Louisville on Thursday morning, Booker cast his ballot and acknowledged the historic possibility of the moment.
"I realize the weight of making history," said Booker. "I feel the importance of it."
Charles Booker, Kentucky’s Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, voted in Louisville this morning.
— Karolina Buczek (@Karolina_Buczek) November 3, 2022
After he cast his ballot, he jokingly asked his mom: “did you vote for your son?”@LEX18News pic.twitter.com/iMQHVQXw24
However, Booker quickly added that he's not running for U.S. Senate just to make history.
"I didn’t do this to be the first Black person to do it," said Booker. "I did it to step up for my family because I know we deserve change. We deserve a government and US senators that will represent us and account for us instead of throwing us off the cliff."
Booker has previously argued that running as a fearless progressive will inspire Kentuckians who don't participate in the political process to come out and vote.
His opponent, incumbent Republican Senator Rand Paul, has argued that Booker's message won't resonate with Kentuckians and that Booker is too far out there for the state.
"I think it's a platform that will be very, very unsuccessful in Kentucky," Paul said.
But Booker said he's not focused on the labels.
"I’ve been labeled a lot of things. I really don’t care about the labels," said Booker. "I want to end poverty. I want to end it because I’ve seen what it looks like, I’ve felt it. And I know no one deserves it."
