Charles Booker

Charles Booker earned a B.S. in political science and a J.D. from the University of Louisville in 2007 and 2010, respectively. Booker's career experience includes working as the director of development of 1619 Flux, an education and equity policy analyst with the Louisville Urban League, the manager of neighborhood initiatives with the Louisville Independent Business Alliance, and the division director of administrative services with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.[1] He has been affiliated with the Louisville Metro Democratic Club and the Young Elected Officials Network.[2]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Charles Booker is a lifelong resident of Louisville’s West End, growing up in what has been one of the poorest zip codes in Kentucky. He has experienced the pain of poverty firsthand, and saw his mom skip meals just so he could have enough. He’s been homeless, and he has had to ration his insulin because he couldn’t afford the medication he needed as a Type 1 diabetic. After a narrow loss in the 2020 U.S. Senate Kentucky Democratic Party Primary, Rep. Booker founded Hood to the Holler, a grassroots organization to build on the values that have animated his whole life, and break down barriers between Kentuckians and their government. Now, he’s running for the U.S. Senate to continue the work of making Kentucky a place where all of us can thrive.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Charles Booker is fighting to win a Kentucky New Deal – a bold vision to ensure life, freedom, and prosperity for all Kentuckians. We can end generational poverty, deliver on justice, and strengthen democracy by centering the needs of Kentuckians ahead of corporate greed, lobbyists, and career politicians that have held us back for so long.Charles understands the struggles that we face everyday. He grew up in one of Kentucky’s poorest zip codes, has experienced homelessness, and has had to ration his insulin to help put food on the table for his girls. Despite these hardships and by working multiple jobs to pay his way, he became the first in his family to graduate from college and law school, and became one of the youngest state legislators in Kentucky’s history. He is fighting for us because the people of Kentucky are family, and family is worth fighting for.Charles has been a relentless champion in the fight for a Kentucky that works for all of us. He stood on the train tracks with the coal miners in Eastern Kentucky demanding honest pay for honest work. He stood with our teachers when they stepped outside the classroom to fight for our children’s futures. And he stood shoulder to shoulder with people of all ages in Injustice Square to say her name. He’s stood with the people of Kentucky from the hood to the holler, and it’s why they stand with him.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

When elected, Charles will fight to expand social security through the Social Security Expansion Act, ensure every Kentuckian has access to quality healthcare by passing Medicare for All, and repair Kentucky’s crumbling infrastructure, including expanding broadband access across the Commonwealth.

Campaign website

Booker's campaign website stated the following:

Kentuckians Helped Build This Country.

Our miners powered America’s cities. Our gravel paved the interstate highways. Our farmers fed the nation. That was part of the deal. But for too long, Washington has been sending politicians to Kentucky to tell us what we need. To tell us they know better, to save us from a problem they created for us. We deserve better. We deserve a new deal.

A Kentucky New Deal.

A New Deal that Finally Centers the needs of Kentuckians.

It will be the largest investment in the people of Kentucky that we’ve ever seen, ending poverty, delivering quality healthcare to everyone in our Commonwealth, and fixing our crumbling infrastructure.

Kentucky is struggling.

We can’t deny that.

It will be the largest investment in the people of Kentucky that we’ve ever seen, ending poverty, delivering quality healthcare to everyone in our Commonwealth, and fixing our crumbling infrastructure. With the devastation of a global pandemic weighing down on us, the height of tension in our politics and in society, severely crumbling infrastructure, and the continued economic uncertainty from the loss of jobs and the decline of the fossil fuel industry, it is critical that we stand now to fight for our future. Regular people are fed up and tired of being ignored. We are done with the days of politicians like Rand Paul exploiting us and making a mockery of our lives.[8]

—Charles Booker's campaign website (2022)[9]

Charles Booker did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Booker's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[10]

Authentic Engagement & Vision Creation

Excerpt: "My highest priority as State Senator for Kentucky’s 33rd District, is to inspire a system of engagement that fosters transformational change in how the community connects to government and the political process."

Education

Excerpt: "True, sustainable empowerment must include substantial and intentional investment in our educational system. We want our youth to achieve greatness and grow to live gainful lives, therefore we must be urgent in our efforts to provide greater resources, close achievement and advancement gaps, and strengthen a thriving environment of lifelong learners."

Economic Development & Empowerment

Excerpt: "To create realistic pathways from educational excellence to wealth, it is an imperative that we create and drive an economic vision that promotes empowerment, job creation, entrepreneurism, sustainability, and innovation."

Safety & Security

Excerpt: "As we put our efforts and energy into rebuilding our community, it is essential that we invest efforts into ensuring our neighborhoods are safe, welcoming, healthy and thriving. With major attention on police relations and the judicial system, incentives for community policing can go a long way toward making the motto “Protect and Serve” a resounding sentiment felt by all citizens."

Sustainability

Excerpt: "While we rightly organize to improve safety in our community, it is key that we equally place energy toward increasing access to resources, opportunities and necessities that promote a thriving environment. Considering the numerous disparities found specifically in West Louisville, we must be urgent in supporting opportunities to Increase access to resources that will improve lives and enhance the community."