Charles Booker (American politician)
Charles Booker (born October 20, 1984) is an American politician from the commonwealth of Kentucky. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives, representing the 43rd district from 2019 to 2021. During his term, he was Kentucky's youngest Black state lawmaker.
Charles Booker | |
|---|---|
| Director of Kentucky's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and Community Involvement | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2023 | |
| Governor | Andy Beshear |
| Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from the 43rd district | |
| In office January 1, 2019 – January 1, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Darryl Owens |
| Succeeded by | Pamela Stevenson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 20, 1984 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Tanesha Booker |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Louisville (BS, JD) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Booker was a candidate in the Democratic Party's primary for the 2020 U.S. Senate race in Kentucky, drawing national attention before ultimately losing a close race to former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath. In April 2021, Booker formed an exploratory committee for the 2022 U.S. Senate race in Kentucky, and formally announced that he was running on July 1, 2021. He won the primary on May 17 but lost to incumbent Republican Rand Paul in the general election. Booker is the first African American to be a major party nominee for U.S. Senate in Kentucky. Following his defeat, Booker was appointed by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to lead the Governor's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and Community Involvement.