Check out the website: https://lenspoliticalnotes.com  Look at the recent Political Notes and Len’s Letters on the website.  Political Note #359 Maggie Hassan US Senate New Hampshire, Political Note #365 Catherine Cortez Masto US Senate Nevada, Political Note #379 Raphael Warnock US Senate Georgia, Political Note #387 Mark Kelly US Senate Arizona, Political Note #400 Val Demings US Senate Florida, Political Note #408 Charles Booker US Senate Florida

The following is not a Senate race, but the vote is on September 14: Political Note #386 Gavin Newsom California Governor (The Recall)  Keep writing postcards to get out the vote are kick in some financial support at https://stoptherepublicanrecall.com

September 2nd, 2021           Political Note #408 Charles Booker US Senate

2022                                       General Election

I wrote a Political Note to support Amy McGrath in her run against Mitch McConnell in 2020. I thought a centrist candidate who raised a lot of money could win in Kentucky.

A Kentuckian responded:  Mind your own business.  We have not had the Democratic primary yet.  In 2020, Charles Booker https://charlesbooker.org was running a surprisingly vigorous campaign in the primary even though only Amy McGrath raised enough money to compete with Mitch McConnell.  She lost in the general election even though she raised $94 Million to McConnell’s $71 Million.  That doesn’t include spending by outside sources, but the Kentuckian who scolded me had a point.

Charles Booker’s primary loss to Amy McGrath was close: 45%-43%.  When he conceded, he said: Don’t ever let someone tell you what’s impossible. Don’t ever give up on your dreams for a brighter future. No matter where you are from, what color your skin is, how much money you have, who you love, what pronoun you use, whether you walk or use a wheelchair, or what you believe – you matter.  He urged his supporters to continue fighting for change, to work to defeat McConnell.  He thanked them, told them he loved them, and concluded with what has become his rallying cry and his movement – From the hood to the holler.

This one-term state rep demonstrated he was a force.  Charles Booker established himself in this border state where, occasionally, a Democrat still wins (Kentucky currently has a Democratic governor.). He is the only Democrat in the race for US Senate in 2022. The incumbent Republican is the thoroughly vulnerable Rand Paul.  Charles Booker has also established his movement and well as his candidacy – HOOD TO THE HOLLER.

Charles Booker is a young man, 36 years old. He grew up poor and recalls two aspects of his childhood.  His mother skipped meals so he could have enough to eat.  They rationed insulin for his diabetes because his parents couldn’t afford the medication.  Both his parents were high school dropouts. Charles Booker grew up, went to high school, to college, and to law school all in Louisville.    While at the University of Louisville law school, he interned in Congress – for Gregory Meeks, NY 06. Meeks represents Queens; a Borough of New York City that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also represents.  Charles Booker also interned in the Kentucky State Senate and volunteered for Kentucky Congressman Yarmouth’s campaigns in 2010 and 2012.  When he went to work for an actual paying job, he was an aide to Louisville city councilman David Tandy.  He became an analyst for a legislative review committee – until he violated a rule by visibly supporting the Democratic candidate for US Senate in 2014.

Charles Booker worked for the state of Kentucky as the Director of Administrative Services for the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (closer to the holler than the hood). He directed strategic partnerships for Seed Capital Kentucky, worked for Cities United, for Louisville’s Urban League, and for the Louisville Independent Business Alliance – all before being elected State Rep.   He was a state legislator for one term.  He does not wait his turn.  He inspires his followers.  Here’s what he believes in:

We believe Kentucky can thrive when we lift up the voices of hardworking people from the forgotten places, and build a new coalition of people from the hood to the holler. We believe in a movement that ends structural inequity and breaks the cycle of generational poverty. Because Black, White or Brown, we all want a society where every single person can be safe in their homes without the fear of being killed by … government agencies we pay to protect us. Where the air is clean, and the water we drink won’t make us sick. Where we all have the same quality health care that politicians do. Where it’s not just the billionaires who have money in their pockets and a gainful life. Where poverty is a thing of the past.

We can redefine our politics by replacing the old Southern Strategy with a new one that lifts love and unity over hate and division. We will ensure all Kentuckians have good quality health care and a living wage. And we will make environmental injustice a thing of the past.  If you believe we can build that society together, join us. Let’s inspire a movement that defies the odds, defeats the status quo, and wins a future that works for all of us.

Notwithstanding his ambition and his rhetoric, he can seem an ordinary guy.  He’s been married for more than 12 years and has two children.  His wife has worked as a health care claims analyst. She also has volunteered as a Vacation Bible School Director and as a member of a dance ministry.    Neither of Charles Booker or his wife have any claims to be members of an elite.

Charles Booker is not ordinary.  He has created a Hood to the Holler movement that has an organization which argues for his new southern strategy.  The organization calls for more democracy rather than less, for ways to address generational poverty and racial injustice, for strategies that are based on unity rather than hate and divisiveness.  The organization calls for strategies that are based on love, too, so they say.

Charles Booker https://charlesbooker.org could win an election in Kentucky; he could be a stunning piece of the Democratic effort to ensure a Democratic Senate. Help make that happen.  Donate to Charles Booker and his campaign or donate to his movement’s organization  — Hood to the Holler https://hoodtotheholler.org.

The Cook Report projects the following incumbent Democratic Senators as Likely, or Leaning Democrat for 2022 rather than Solidly Democratic. These are seats we have to defend.  Donate to these candidates, too.

 Arizona                     Mark Kelly (Likely D) https://markkelly.com

Georgia                     Raphael Warnock (Lean D) https://warnockforgeorgia.com

Nevada                      Catherine Cortez Maestro https://catherinecortezmasto.com (Likely D)

New Hampshire      Maggie Hassan (Likely D) https://maggiehassan.com

 

Here are three Democrats who can flip Republican seats:  

Florida                       Congresswoman Val Demings https://valdemings.com is targeting Marco Rubio (Likely R)

Kentucky                  2020 Senate Candidate Charles Booker https://charlesbooker.org is targeting Rand Paul (Solid R – maybe)

Ohio                           Congressman Tim Ryan https://timforoh.com is targeting the open seat created because Rob Portman is retiring (Lean R)

There are more seats that Democrats can flip.

 Pennsylvania          Republican Pat Toomey is retiring. The seat is Open. (Toss Up) Democrats have been winning state-wide races recently. Five Democrats are currently in the race; more are still thinking about it.

Wisconsin                Republican Ron Johnson is a target (Lean R) Nine Democrats are currently in the race; a few are still thinking about running.

Missouri                    Republican Roy Blunt is retiring. The seat is Open.  (Solid R) So far there are three Democratic candidates in the race and there may be more.  Five Missouri Republicans are running; the leading candidate would be vulnerable against a Democrat who could run a strong race.

North Carolina        Republican Richard Burr is retiring. The seat is Open.  (Toss Up) Five Democrats are running.  Former State Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley may be the nominee.  She has run and both won and lost in state-wide campaigns. 

Alabama                   Republican Richard Shelby is retiring.  The seat is Open (Solid R) Is there a Democrat in Alabama who can create a Doug Jones-like surprise?  There is a Republican candidate who might be sufficiently offensive to make that surprise possible.

Organizations to support as well

 The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC) https://www.dscc.org  The campaign arm of the Democratic US Senators.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC).   https://democrats.org  The official organization of the Democratic Party.

Fair Fight https://fairfight.com Promotes fair elections around the country

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