ICYMI: BOOKER CAMPAIGN ADDRESSES BARR’S DEBATE LIES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 23, 2026
Contact: press@charlesbookerky.org

ICYMI: BOOKER CAMPAIGN ADDRESSES BARR’S DEBATE LIES

LOUISVILLE, KY — This week, Democratic nominee Charles Booker faced off against opponent Andy Barr in the only debate of the Kentucky U.S. Senate race. Over the hour, Barr made several false or misleading statements, and we’d like to call them out. Here are some of the “lowlights”:

• Barr’s Claim: Charles Booker Supports Defunding and Abolishing the Police
• Reality: Booker’s published public-safety platform explicitly commits to supporting local police, sheriffs, and first responders, including funding for:
• Training and recruitment.
• Mental-health crisis-response teams.
• Fentanyl and opioid enforcement, alongside treatment and recovery.
• Violence prevention and youth programs.
• Barr’s Claim: Charles Booker Supports Abolishing Borders
• Reality: In the debate, Booker emphasized the need to secure our border, invest in Border Patrol, and address court backlogs. He called for a system rooted in humanity, not brutality, that strengthens the economy and keeps communities safe.
• Barr’s Claim: The objectives of the Iran War have been achieved with the destruction of Iran’s infrastructure.
• Reality: The conflict continues, with new reporting showing renewed strikes planned for after the election, extending the fighting that has killed and continues to endanger American troops.
• Barr’s Claim: Tariffs benefit Kentucky’s economy.
• Reality: Barr claims that Trump’s tariffs give us “leverage” to open new markets, such as in India, which Barr posed as a solution to our bourbon oversupply.
• A study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that tariffs directly increased consumer prices in 2025 and caused notable harm to Kentucky’s bourbon industry. While India is a potentially significant market, there are steep taxes, and such a move would likely be insufficient.
• Barr’s Claim: Charles Booker’s healthcare plan would raise costs and force Americans to give up their preferred doctors.
• Reality: Booker’s published policy plan promises to keep politicians out of Kentuckians’ medical decisions and provide choice around providers. His policy would also take an aggressive approach toward cutting costs, including by expanding Medicare to include dental, vision, and hearing and lowering prescription drug prices.

“Andy Barr knows that he can’t win on the actual issues. This leaves him no choice but to resort to fearmongering, lies, and baseless attacks. Charles is the only one in this race actually having honest, substantive conversations, and that was obvious on Monday,” said a campaign spokesperson.

This is just a selection of the multitude of misleading statements, including terms like Green New Deal, crazy, radical, and socialist, just outright lies, presented by Andy Barr. Charles Booker would be happy to continue the conversation, whether that be on a debate stage, in a town hall, or even at the local coffee shop. However, if his performance on Monday is anything to go by, Barr will not be taking him up on the offer. Nonetheless, Booker will continue to take his message straight to voters as he continues his Kentucky Over Politics Tour, discussing issues most important to Kentuckians, such as affordability, healthcare, tariffs, corruption, and common sense.