Cheri Beasley of North Carolina and Charles Booker of Kentucky became the first African American nominees for their respective states, iHeart Media reports.
U.S. Senate candidates Beasley and Booker both won on Tuesday in their Democratic primary contests in North Carolina and Kentucky, respectively, and are heading to the general election in November.
Booker took to Twitter to share his excitement about his victory.
🚨 BREAKING: It’s official. I am the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Kentucky. In November, we will make history by defeating Rand Paul and expanding our Senate majority. Help us start the general election off strong by sharing and chipping in! https://t.co/sIMquRZYeQ
— Charles Booker (@Booker4KY) May 17, 2022
“It’s official. I am the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Kentucky,” his tweet read. "In November, we will make history by defeating Rand Paul and expanding our Senate majority. Help us start the general election off strong by sharing and chipping in!”
After his victory, Booker vowed to take his message across the entire state.
“We’re going to win by engaging communities that don’t typically vote, communities that have been Republican for a long time but really just because Democrats don’t go and giving our folks a reason to turn out,” Booker said in an interview on Kentucky Educational Television.
In November, Beasley will face Sen. Rand Paul who is seeking his third term.
Beasley, who formerly served as the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 2019 to 2020, faced only marginal competition in the primary. Her top opponent, state Sen. Jeff Jackson, suspended his campaign late last year, giving her his endorsement.
If Beasley defeats Republican candidate, Rep. Ted Budd, she will become the very first Black senator to represent the state of North Carolina and will fill a void after Vice President Kamala Harris left the Senate as the only Black woman in the senate.
