Former Kentucky State Representative Charles Booker is forming an exploratory committee to consider running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Rand Paul.
An exploratory committee helps a potential candidate for a political race determine whether they should run, giving them the opportunity to gauge political interest.
Booker made the announcement Monday morning, saying that Kentuckians deserve a senator who will “build a future that works for all of us instead of just for a wealthy few.”
Booker ran unsuccessfully against Amy McGrath in the Democratic primary last year for Senator Mitch McConnell’s seat. The former member of the state house of representatives gained momentum in the final days of the campaign before losing to McGrath by 15,000 votes. McConnell, a Republican, won his seat back in a landslide over McGrath in the general election.
Paul was elected to Congress in 2010 with 55-percent of the vote over Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway and was easily reelected in 2016.
