In a statement on Thursday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee endorsed Amy McGrath for the Democratic nomination to take on Mitch McConnell this fall. The endorsement statement makes no mention of the other two Democrats in the face, Mike Broihier and state Rep. Charles Booker.
The chair of the DSCC, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, issued this statement in making the endorsement:
“Amy McGrath is a courageous leader who has spent her career taking risks and inspiring others to service. In the Senate, she’ll be a champion for all Kentuckians, working to expand access to high-quality, affordable health care and education, and to invest in good paying jobs in communities across Kentucky. Instead of playing politics and doing the bidding of special interests, Amy will make sure that Kentuckians get the fair shot they deserve.”
In response, Rep. Booker issued this statement:
“The Democratic Party shouldn’t be in the business of interfering in primaries before voters have had a chance to make their voices heard. But instead of waiting for Kentucky Democrats to choose, the DSCC is coming in from Washington, DC to put their thumb on the scale and try and tell us who to vote for.
“There are some in the Democratic Party, including the DSCC, who still believe that the way to beat Mitch is by running to the soft center. But we’ve tried it their way, and we’ve lost.
“I believe that the only way to defeat Mitch McConnell, is to run against Mitch McConnell. Dancing around him isn’t going to get us anywhere. We have to take the fight to him. You don’t beat the most unpopular Senator in America by running away from him, or trying to be like him. You win by putting him on the defensive, holding him accountable, and making sure he has to answer for what he’s done to us.
“The sooner the DSCC understands that, the sooner we’ll finally retire Mitch McConnell once and for all.”
As noted by the Courier-Journal, McGrath complained about the same issue when the DCCC endorsed Jim Gray over her in the 2018 race for Congress against Andy Barr.
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