Name: Bernie Sanders, AOC endorse Charles Booker in Kentucky's US Senate primary
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Bernie Sanders, AOC endorse Charles Booker in Kentucky's US Senate primary

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Louisville Courier JournalView CommentsSen. Bernie Sanders announced Tuesday morning he is endorsing&nbsp;Charles Booker in Kentucky's upcoming U.S. Senate primary&nbsp;that will determine which Democrat&nbsp;gets a shot at unseating Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.&nbsp;And minutes after Sanders threw his support behind Booker, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also said she is endorsing the Louisville Democrat.The endorsements from Sanders, a Vermont senator and two-time presidential candidate, as well as Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive&nbsp;known as "AOC,"&nbsp;adds to the momentum that Booker,&nbsp;has recently enjoyed.Sanders mentioned that momentum in his endorsement announcement for Booker and five other candidates for Congress."As Louisville has become an epicenter of national tragedy and protests due to the police murders of Breonna Taylor and David McAtee, Charles has shown leadership by showing up on the frontlines," Sanders said. "He was an and supports progressive policies such as criminal justice reform, Medicare for All and getting big money out of politics."Related:Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that&nbsp;Booker is "building the kind of principled, inclusive, and winning coalition in Kentucky that can inspire positive change.""The US Senate will be a better place with him in it," the New York Democrat said in her tweet that included a link to an ActBlue donation page. "I'm proud to endorse him. Let’s go."Tuesday morning was already an eventful one for Booker, the 35-year-old state representative from Louisville's West End.His campaign on Tuesday&nbsp;&nbsp;a few hours before the endorsements rolled in from Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez.The new, 30-second TV spot takes aim at Amy McGrath, one of Booker's rivals in the June 23 primary who has enjoyed greater name recognition and &nbsp;thanks,&nbsp;in part, to the backing of the&nbsp;Booker has sought to differentiate himself from McGrath by running a more left-leaning and grassroots campaign.On Politics:&nbsp;Meanwhile, McGrath has said she as part of a more moderate pitch to voters in a conservative state that went for President Donald Trump in 2016.Booker took aim at McGrath and her stances in his new ad."I’m running for U.S. Senate because, in this crisis, Kentucky needs a real Democrat to take on Mitch McConnell," Booker says in the&nbsp;TV&nbsp;spot.&nbsp;"Someone who will fight to guarantee health care and living wages for all, and not help Trump just get his way."Booker said Tuesday's endorsements&nbsp;from the two&nbsp;high-profile&nbsp;members of Congress are "further proof that our vision to end poverty, lead on structural change, and uplift all people is the right message at the right time.""I am standing for Kentuckians. I am fighting for the Commonwealth I love, and the future I know we deserve. Kentucky is ready to lead, and the country is standing behind us," Booker said in a statement. "... We will win this primary, beat Mitch McConnell, and transform our future."In response to Booker's latest set of endorsements, McConnell campaign manager Kevin Golden chose to keep the attention on McGrath."Amy McGrath has been running an inauthentic, extreme campaign for nearly a year, and she is still unattractive to Democratic voters," Golden told The Courier Journal.&nbsp;"It's not surprising that Democrats are already looking for a&nbsp;replacement."Opinion:For the first eight days of June, Booker's campaign said it raised nearly $700,000.For the first three months of 2020, Booker raked in&nbsp;$315,432, according to&nbsp;the Federal Election Commission.All of that money is still a fraction of the $12.8 million that McGrath, a retired Marine fighter pilot, Mike Broihier, another retired Marine and Democratic candidate from Lincoln County, raised&nbsp;$152,426 during the first quarter and has also Despite the apparent fundraising gap, both Booker and Broihier have earned some notable endorsements ahead of the June 23 primary.Broihier received&nbsp;, the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate who, like Sanders, was not successful in his bid for the White House but garnered attention for his proposals, such as a&nbsp;universal basic income.See also:Apart from the Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez endorsements, Booker is also.On Sunday, Kentucky Sports Radio host Matt Jones said he was also once considered entering.And on Tuesday afternoon, the for Booker.As Sanders alluded to in his endorsement message, Booker&nbsp;has spoken at numerous demonstrations around Louisville and over the past two weeks related to the deaths of Taylor, McAtee and other black Americans at the hands of police.Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com or 502-582-7030. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.View Comments

Louisville Courier JournalView CommentsSen. Bernie Sanders announced Tuesday morning he is endorsing&nbsp;Charles Booker in Kentucky's upcoming U.S. Senate primary&nbsp;that will determine which Democrat&nbsp;gets a shot at unseating Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.&nbsp;And minutes after Sanders threw his support behind Booker, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also said she is endorsing the Louisville Democrat.The endorsements from Sanders, a Vermont senator and two-time presidential candidate, as well as Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive&nbsp;known as "AOC,"&nbsp;adds to...

Bernie Sanders, AOC endorse Charles Booker in Kentucky's US Senate primary

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