A progressive political group has endorsed Mike Broihier in this year’s race for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The endorsement from Indivisible Kentucky--the national group's Louisville chapter--comes as Broihier and Louisville state Rep. Charles Booker jostle for the progressive vote in Kentucky’s June 23rd Democratic primary election.
Both Booker and Broihier are hoping to upset Amy McGrath, a retired Marine fighter pilot who has poised herself as the likely front runner in the race with a $14.8 million campaign war chest as of the end of March.
During a video press conference on Monday, Indivisible Kentucky co-chair Sharon Fleck said that Broihier is the best candidate to take on McConnell.
“He cares, really cares about people. He has empathy for people and what they’re going through. He has that unique ability to put himself into others’ shoes, he knows the issues, the people’s issues, all over Kentucky, and he’s accessible,” Fleck said.
Broihier has also been endorsed by Indivisible Northern Kentucky, Indivisible Southeast Kentucky, and Indivisible Pennyroyal.
Broihier is a farmer from Lincoln County and retired Marine lieutenant colonel. Along with Booker, Broihier has run to the left of McGrath by favoring policies like “Medicare for all,” the Green New Deal and universal basic income.
Indivisible Kentucky said they conducted a poll of people who watched a March 5 candidate forum between the Democratic candidates and that 88 percent of respondents said they would have voted for Broihier.
Chris Rowzee, another co-chair of Indivisible Kentucky, said that any of the Democratic candidates would be better than McConnell.
“We believe that any of the three leading candidates in this race would do more for Kentucky than Mitch McConnell has done. Each one of them has the integrity and leadership to move Kentucky forward while protecting and restoring our democratic norms,” Rowzee said
The endorsement indicates a split among progressives looking for an alternative to McGrath. Booker was endorsed by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, another statewide progressive political group, in early March.
There are 10 Democrats and eight Republicans running for the Senate seat this year.