Booker Op-Ed: I'm taking back this US Senate seat for people of KY (The Courier-Journal)

Come January, for the first time in more than 40 years, Sen. Mitch McConnell will no longer represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate. In a few short weeks, Kentuckians will choose who they want to replace him. Will they choose Rep. Andy Barr, someone committed to maintaining the status quo that has left Kentucky among the sickest and poorest states in the country? Or will Kentuckians choose leadership committed to putting Kentucky first, putting people over politics and finally delivering on the critical issues facing the commonwealth?

McConnell long ago forgot the reasons why Kentuckians sent him to the Senate, and the only thing Andy Barr appears to have accomplished in his 14 years in Congress is lining his own pockets as his personal wealth skyrocketed. That’s not leadership. It’s cowardice, greed and an abdication of our responsibility as leaders.

To all my fellow Kentuckians, no matter your race, class, background or political affiliation, ask yourself, what has changed for you? What has gotten better? We know that things have only worsened. I am asking for your vote because I believe that together, we will make history here in Kentucky.

Putting Kentucky first

I’m not running for Senate because I see a pathway to power or wealth. I’m running for Senate because the people of Kentucky are hurting. We need a leader in Washington who will address the myriad crises we face head-on, without flinching, and put the needs of Kentuckians above all else. Who will stand up for Kentucky’s working and middle-class families, small business owners and family farmers struggling to keep the lights on, put food on the table or afford their medicine?

Who will deliver for our young people and our retirees? Who will be a senator for every Kentuckian, from the hood to the holler?

We are putting common sense over corruption and the people of Kentucky first, because senators owe their state, not billionaires on Wall Street, DC lobbyists, or an administration that long ago abandoned its promise to lower costs for working families.

Andy Barr has rubber-stamped policies that have jacked up costs for working people in Kentucky. He’s given out a blank check to fight an endless war in Iran that has left our family farmers wondering if they’ll be able to afford the diesel to fuel their tractors or the fertilizer to nourish their crops.

And instead of centering the people of Kentucky, Barr has gladly taken huge contributions from the very banks he’s supposed to regulate, while opening the door to AI data centers from the big tech companies bankrolling his campaign.

Taking back our Senate seat

The corruption ends on Nov. 3 when we take back this Senate seat for the people of Kentucky.

We are going to rein in the tariffs, trade wars and the reckless and unnecessary war with Iran. We will stop building AI data centers that jack up our utility costs and threaten our air and water until we can ensure any new industry in our commonwealth centers the people of Kentucky.

We are going to lower health care costs for Kentuckians by ending the destructive cuts to Medicaid and other health care programs, which have put health care out of reach for far too many Kentuckians and threatened to shutter dozens of rural hospitals.

But it’s not just about ending the destructive policies and actions harming Kentuckians, Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike. It’s about delivering on a long-forgotten promise to the commonwealth we call home.

People often raise an eyebrow when I say I’m taking a page out of the Mitch McConnell playbook. McConnell once delivered for Kentucky. He long ago forgot about us, but that changes when I get to Washington. We will put Kentucky first, ensuring that no matter your zip code, you have a senator in the U.S. Capitol who works every day to attract the investments we need to revitalize our infrastructure, economy, education and health care. No challenge we face is too great to overcome.

We can’t afford another six years of empty leadership in the Senate, and that’s exactly what we’ll get with Andy Barr. We can’t afford a senator who will further gut rural health care, public education funding or push for data centers in our backyards, while ignoring skyrocketing utility costs and a crumbling infrastructure.

Kentucky, we will put common sense over corruption, people over politics and rebuild our commonwealth, our democracy and our nation. It’s time for something different, because change can no longer wait for tomorrow. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get this done. Let’s finally put Kentucky first.

Charles Booker is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Kentucky, running against Republican nominee Rep. Andy Barr for the seat held by Mitch McConnell. He is a former state representative and the founder of Hood to the Holler.