Can a Democrat take Mitch McConnell's seat? [View all]

Can a Democrat take Mitch McConnell’s seat?
Rep. Charles Booker and racehorse trainer Dale Romans aim to test Democrat's electability in Kentucky

By Russell Payne
Staff Reporter
Published December 19, 2025 6:30AM (EST)


(Salon) Democrats are fighting for the mantle of “most electable” in the Senate race in Kentucky, a state largely overlooked by the national party, despite some recent successes. A recent “target map” released by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee shows the national Democratic apparatus isn’t even aiming to break the GOP supermajority in either house of the state legislature. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is only targeting one seat in the state. In 2024, the Democratic National Committee sent over $2.5 million out to the state parties; the Kentucky Lantern reported that there was only a “five-figure” sum coming to the Bluegrass state.

This is despite the recent success of Andy Beshear, the popular two-term governor of the state, who probably could’ve cleared the field in the Senate race, had he chosen to run. Instead, it appears that Besear, a Democrat, may be angling for a 2028 presidential run.

Now, Democrats in Kentucky are jockeying for position as to who might successfully carve out the image as the most electable, a tacit acknowledgement of the fact that any Democrat will face a disadvantage in the general election, which will ultimately be a race to replace the outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

What little polling has been done in the Democratic primary suggests that, in Beshear’s absence, two familiar names dominate the field: former state Rep. Charles Booker and former fighter pilot Amy McGrath, both of whom have run in previous Senate elections in 2022 and 2020 respectively. Dale Romans, a thoroughbred racehorse trainer, has also made waves in the race since entering the primary in November, though no polling has been conducted that includes Romans. ..................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/12/19/can-a-democrat-take-mitch-mcconnells-seat/