Amy McGrath Wins Kentucky Democratic Primary to Take On McConnell
- Former fighter pilot fended off late progressive challenge
- Candidate faces uphill climb to unseat Senate majority leader
Kentucky Democrat Amy McGrath speaks during the DNC Women's Leadership Forum conference in Washington on Oct. 17, 2019.es.
Photographer: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath fended off a late surge by a progressive state legislator to win the Kentucky Democratic primary contest and become the challenger to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in November.
McGrath had the backing of party leaders and a massive fundraising advantage, but State Representative Charles Booker, a Black progressive, capitalized on momentum from the protests following the killings of Breonna Taylor in Louisville and George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police to close in late in the race.