Obama endorses Booker in Kentucky Senate race two days before midterms

Former President Barack Obama endorsed Democratic nominee Charles Booker in the Kentucky Senate race on Sunday, two days before Election Day ¹².

Booker is running against Republican Rep. Andy Barr to succeed Senator Mitch McConnell, who is 84, announced his retirement last year and is Kentucky's longest serving senator ¹².

In a statement shared first with CBS News, Obama said Booker would give working families across the Commonwealth a leader who understands their struggles ¹². Booker said he was "humbled and honored" to receive the endorsement ¹².

The race is considered solid Republican by Cook Political Report, and Kentucky is not among the states listed in the CBS News Senate battleground tracker ¹². Booker's campaign says its internal polling indicates the race could be tightening ¹².

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Booker has argued the seat is a path to the majority. "Mitch McConnell essentially built a career leveraging Kentucky to become one of the most powerful politicians in our country, and we know that by flipping Kentucky, we flip the U.S. Senate," he told CBS News in an interview earlier this year ¹².

Aides are also pointing to early-voting numbers. According to the Kentucky State Board of Elections, more than 267,000 individuals had cast ballots, and Secretary of State Michael Adams said in a post Friday that at least 95,645 registered Democrats had already voted compared to 83,726 ¹².

Booker said the campaign has focused on making voters aware of the contest. "A lot of it has been encouraging people to pay attention and to know that there is a race here, that it is competitive, and that there is a path to win," he said ¹².

Barr has cast Booker as a "socialist experiment" and "the most extreme candidate in the history of our state" ¹². President Trump endorsed Barr and visited Kentucky last month, saying at an Oct. 17 rally in Highland Heights: "He's been an amazing congressman" and "He'll be one of the great US senators" ¹².

Obama's endorsement follows support for Booker from a group of senators including Michael Bennet, Mark Kelly, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Chris Van Hollen, Raphael Warnock and Elizabeth Warren, who announced Saturday, as well as Govs. J.B. Pritzker and Wes Moore ¹². Booker stumped with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin last week ¹².

Obama has issued nearly two dozen endorsements for Democratic candidates, rallied for Senate candidates in Georgia, Michigan and Ohio late last month, and raised more than $15 million for party committees this midterm cycle ¹².

Booker challenged Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul in 2022 and lost by nearly 24 points ¹².

Voters decide on Tuesday, Nov. 3 ¹².

The Record

1. Oct 17, 2026President Trump rallied for Rep. Andy Barr in Highland Heights, Ky., calling him an amazing congressman ¹².
2. Oct 30, 2026Secretary of State Michael Adams posted that at least 95,645 registered Democrats had voted early compared to 83,726 ¹².
3. Oct 31, 2026A group of senators including Elizabeth Warren and Raphael Warnock announced their support for Booker on Saturday ¹².
4. Nov 1, 2026Former President Barack Obama endorsed Charles Booker for the U.S. Senate ¹².

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<h2>Obama endorses Booker in Kentucky Senate race two days before midterms</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/obama-endorses-booker-in-kentucky-senate-race-two-days-before-midterms">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 1, 2026.</em></p> <p>Former President Barack Obama endorsed Democratic nominee Charles Booker in the Kentucky Senate race on Sunday, two days before Election Day .</p> <p>Booker is running against Republican Rep. Andy Barr to succeed Senator Mitch McConnell, who is 84, announced his retirement last year and is Kentucky&#39;s longest serving senator .</p> <p>In a statement shared first with CBS News, Obama said Booker would give working families across the Commonwealth a leader who understands their struggles . Booker said he was &quot;humbled and honored&quot; to receive the endorsement .</p> <p>The race is considered solid Republican by Cook Political Report, and Kentucky is not among the states listed in the CBS News Senate battleground tracker . Booker&#39;s campaign says its internal polling indicates the race could be tightening .</p> <p>Booker has argued the seat is a path to the majority. &quot;Mitch McConnell essentially built a career leveraging Kentucky to become one of the most powerful politicians in our country, and we know that by flipping Kentucky, we flip the U.S. Senate,&quot; he told CBS News in an interview earlier this year .</p> <p>Aides are also pointing to early-voting numbers. According to the Kentucky State Board of Elections, more than 267,000 individuals had cast ballots, and Secretary of State Michael Adams said in a post Friday that at least 95,645 registered Democrats had already voted compared to 83,726 .</p> <p>Booker said the campaign has focused on making voters aware of the contest. &quot;A lot of it has been encouraging people to pay attention and to know that there is a race here, that it is competitive, and that there is a path to win,&quot; he said .</p> <p>Barr has cast Booker as a &quot;socialist experiment&quot; and &quot;the most extreme candidate in the history of our state&quot; . President Trump endorsed Barr and visited Kentucky last month, saying at an Oct. 17 rally in Highland Heights: &quot;He&#39;s been an amazing congressman&quot; and &quot;He&#39;ll be one of the great US senators&quot; .</p> <p>Obama&#39;s endorsement follows support for Booker from a group of senators including Michael Bennet, Mark Kelly, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Chris Van Hollen, Raphael Warnock and Elizabeth Warren, who announced Saturday, as well as Govs. J.B. Pritzker and Wes Moore . Booker stumped with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin last week .</p> <p>Obama has issued nearly two dozen endorsements for Democratic candidates, rallied for Senate candidates in Georgia, Michigan and Ohio late last month, and raised more than $15 million for party committees this midterm cycle .</p> <p>Booker challenged Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul in 2022 and lost by nearly 24 points .</p> <p>Voters decide on Tuesday, Nov. 3 .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/obama-endorses-booker-in-kentucky-senate-race-two-days-before-midterms">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/obama-endorses-booker-in-kentucky-senate-race-two-days-before-midterms.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. CBS News, “Former President Obama endorses Booker in Kentucky Senate race” (2026-11-01). cbsnews.com/news/obama-charles-booker-kentucky-midterms/
2. WSGW 790 AM &amp; 100.5 FM, “Former President Obama endorses Booker in Kentucky Senate race - WSGW 790 AM & 100.5 FM” (2026-11-01). wsgw.com/former-president-obama-endorses-booker-in-kentucky-

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