Kentucky Democratic Primary Voters to Decide McConnell's November Opponent

Voters in Kentucky headed to the polls on Tuesday, June 23, to decide which Democratic candidate will face off against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the November elections.

Representative Charles Booker of Louisville and retired Marine fighter Amy McGrath from Lexington were among eight Democrats who filed to run against McConnell. The Kentucky ballot included five House seats, 11 legislative contested primaries, and one Kentucky Supreme Court seat.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear delayed the primary in response to the coronavirus pandemic, issuing an executive order to expand voting by mail, permit early voting, and limit contact between voters at in-person polling sites.

The singular polling location for Jefferson County, the largest in the state with a population of 767,000, was at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, a vast space to accommodate both social distancing and the expected high volume of voters.

This video from the center was shared by Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams on Tuesday morning. “So far today, Kentucky’s a national success story,” Adams said outside the center on Tuesday. Adams said turnout was “through the roof” and denied that states reducing the number of polling stations would lead to voter suppression. “It’s just false,” he said. “The voters aren’t being suppressed. They’re voting.” Credit: KY Secretary of State Michael Adams via Storyful