WASHINGTON — Amy McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot who built a formidable campaign war chest, emerged Tuesday as the Democratic nominee to take on Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, fending off a challenge from the left that highlighted the party’s ideological divisions. One week after the primary was conducted, The Associated Press declared Ms. McGrath the winner after a campaign that was shaped by the coronavirus pandemic and protests against racial injustice. She narrowly defeated Charles Booker, an African-American state lawmaker who harnessed anger over a pair of fatal shootings by the authorities in Louisville to roar into contention in the final weeks of the campaign. She was helped by the presence of other Democrats on the ballot, including another progressive who garnered about 5 percent of the vote. An unabashed progressive, Mr. Booker ran on “Medicare for all” and the Green New Deal.

Source: New York Times June 30, 2020 16:18 UTC