Charles Booker, a Democrat from Louisville, is running for U.S. Senate in Kentucky's Nov. 3 general election.

Booker faces Republican Andy Barr and Kentucky Party candidate Christopher Campbell, according to BallotReady election data.

Booker is the first African American to be a major party nominee for U.S. Senate in Kentucky, according to Wikipedia, having won the Democratic primary in 2022 and again in 2026.

On his campaign website, Booker said he grew up in West Louisville in a family that struggled financially. He said the electricity was cut off and insulin his family needed had to be rationed to make it last.

Booker has type 1 diabetes. He has said he had to ration his own insulin when he was younger due to the cost.

Candidate information

  • Born: Oct. 20, 1984, in Louisville, Kentucky
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in political science, University of Louisville (2007); juris doctor, University of Louisville (2010)
  • Family: Father of three daughters

Experience and public service

  • State representative, Kentucky House District 43 (2019–2021). Served on the economic development and workforce, judiciary, and natural resources and energy committees.
  • Director, Governor's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and Community Involvement, Kentucky (2023–2025)
  • Director of strategic partnerships, West Louisville FoodPort Development
  • Legislative assistant, Office of Councilman David W. Tandy, Louisville Metro Government District 4 (2011–2012)
  • Founder, Hood to the Holler, according to his campaign website

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Booker's campaign website, Wikipedia and BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims unless otherwise noted.

Jobs and wages: Booker proposed a "40 for 40 for 45" plan. If someone works 40 hours a week, Booker said, they should be entitled to a minimum of 40 hours of paid sick leave and a minimum income of $45,000. He said he supports universal basic income, a federal jobs guarantee with paid retraining for workers displaced by artificial intelligence, and strengthening the right to unionize.

Healthcare: Booker said he supports Medicare for All. He said he would fight to restore abortion rights, repeal the Hyde Amendment and ensure abortion and contraceptive care are fully covered.

Housing and childcare: Booker said he would build more affordable housing, implement federal rent stabilization, strengthen tenant protections and make major investments to end homelessness. He said he supports universal childcare.

AI and the economy: Booker said he would create a public equity stake in AI development so profits from human labor and public investment are shared through a dividend for working people. He said he would prohibit companies from relying solely on AI for hiring or firing decisions and impose surcharges on corporations that conduct layoffs due to AI automation.

Environment: Booker supports a Green New Deal, according to Wikipedia. He said he would enact environmental and labor protections for AI development and prevent rising utility costs from being passed on to communities, according to his issue responses collected by BallotReady.

Endorsements

The following endorsements are listed on Booker's campaign endorsements page and on BallotReady:

  • AFL-CIO
  • United Steelworkers Local 14581
  • LIUNA, the Laborers' International Union of North America
  • Communications Workers of America, Kentucky
  • IUE-CWA Local 83761
  • Northern Kentucky Labor Council
  • National Education Association
  • Working Families Party
  • Progressive Voters Network
  • March On PAC
  • New Power PAC
  • John Yarmuth
  • Nina Turner
  • Deval Patrick
  • Ro Khanna
  • Jamaal Bowman

Candidate positions and biographical details were drawn from the candidate's campaign website, Wikipedia and BallotReady. The Florence-Union Journal did not interview the candidate for this profile.