Four Kentucky Democrats —  trying to make the case for their electability in a state that has sent no Democrat to the U.S. Senate this century — disagreed on a few points during a televised debate Tuesday night, while vowing to help steer the country from its current course. Kentuckians in No vember will elect a successor to Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch Mitch McConnell, who has held the seat for almost 42 years. The last Democrat elected to the Senate from Kentucky was Wendell Ford in 1992. Two of the Democratic contenders this year — former Navy fighter pilot Amy McGrath and former state Rep. Charles Booker — have won the Democratic Senate nomination before only to lose, respectively, to Republican incumbents McConnell in 2020 and Rand Paul in 2022.  State Rep. Pamela Stevenson, a retired Air Force colonel and military attorney, is the minority leader in the Kentucky House, while Thoroughbred horse trainer Dale Romans is emphasizing his status as a political outsider who would govern from “the center.” During the hour-long debate on Spectrum News 1, Romans seemed to relish disagreeing with Booker on accepting contributions from pro-Israel AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Booker, calling Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide,” said he would “not take a cent of AIPAC money, and I’m urging all of my colleagues here today to do the same thing. We need to stand for humanity right now.” Romans replied, “You’re not gonna take money from AIPAC because they’re not gonna offer you any money. So it’s easy to stand up here and point your finger at us. Nobody’s gotten any money from AIPAC. They want to give me some, I’m gonna take it. But I’ll tell you what, I can’t be bought just because they contribute to my campaign. I’m going to do everything I can to get the Democrat into Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill. So if AIPAC wants to send some money, I’ll take it, because it takes money to win a race. And I won’t be ashamed of it.” Speaking next, McGrath said  “I agree with Dale” then stressed that none of the leading Republican candidates for Senate have served in the armed services at a time when the U.S. and Israel are waging war on Iran without congressional approval. “We need a senator right now who is going to be able to stand up to this president, who has the experience of being in war, to say, ‘No, this is wrong.’”  When pressed by moderator Mario Anderson on whether she would take money from AIPAC, McGrath said simply “no.” Stevens said, “I will not accept money from an organization that … helps with genocide.” Romans again stood out by strongly defending the filibuster when the candidates were asked if they favored ending the controversial Senate rule requiring 60 out of 100 votes to move almost any significant legislation. Opponents of the  filibuster say a simple majority vote should be enough to move legislation in the Senate. Booker said he favored ending the filibuster. “It’s archaic, and it’s been used to block progress.”  McGrath said, “We need to fix our democracy, and I’m for anything that will fix our democracy. If it remains broken, then yes, let’s fix it.“ Stevenson said: “We have to figure out how it’s being used to destroy this democracy and fix that problem. I’m not sure if any rule we put in wouldn’t be used to destroy democracy.” Romans said the filibuster is a critical check on the party holding even a slim majority of Senate seats. “Without it, you’re just like the House and the minority group should just go home.” 4 takeaways from the money race for US Senate in Kentucky Without the filibuster, Romans said Republican President Trump, backed by a Republican-controlled Congress, “could just run over and do whatever he wanted with his agenda. The filibuster is very important. It’s been upheld by Mitch McConnell, but it’s also been upheld by the Democrats when they’re in office, and we need to make sure it stays that way.” All four Democrats previewed likely clashes with the Republican nominee over President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, last year’s Republican cuts to health care and the power of what Booker called the “Epstein class” to influence government through unlimited anonymous political spending. Currently dominating the race is advertising on behalf of Republican candidates U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and Nate Morris who have massive amounts of money behind them. Republican Daniel Cameron is at a financial disadvantage but says his campaign will succeed on grassroots organizing. What the Democrats said in their concluding debate remarks Booker: “Kentucky, I know you’re hurting. I know you’re frustrated. I know you’re tired, and I know we need leadership that can meet this moment. I have shown what it takes to build coalitions from the hood to the hollow —  folks putting Trump signs and Booker signs in their yards. I’ve shown that if we stand up for truth, for justice, for healing, that we can change our future. Now, I’m not the big money candidate. I can’t self-fund. I’m not being supported by Chuck Schumer. My support comes from the people. This campaign is a testament to you, the regular folks who are looking for someone who just cares about them.”  McGrath: “Washington politicians on both sides of the aisle have sold out to big corporations for far too long, and nowhere is this more real than in the health insurance industry. The democracy that I swore to protect and uphold six times in my life is under attack. Kentuckians deserve a senator who is ready on day one to tackle these challenges. I can build a coalition that can win this open Senate seat, and I will work to bring back a government that works for you, not against you.” Romans: “I’m a complete outsider. I was raised by a single mother in Shively that lived paycheck to paycheck. I have a lot of life experiences that I think would help me help the people of Kentucky when I go to Washington. We need to try something different. It’s not working — what’s in Washington right now. I like to refer to myself as an independent Democrat because I want to go to  Capitol Hill and only be beholden to Kentucky and to the United States of America. I love Kentucky and I love Kentuckians. I want to go represent all of you. … (I’m) not as polished as some of my colleagues. I don’t have plans with clever names that can never go into effect. I want to do what is reality, what can really work.” Stevenson: “This is an opportunity for us to engage and build America 2.0, where the promise of America is available no matter what your zip code. I have governance experience. I’m the leader of the House (Democrats). I’ve been elected three times. I served 27 years in the Air Force, and I went to 11 different countries, the Middle East and in Africa in particular, where I didn’t speak the language nor know the culture, and I produced for America. I will produce for Kentucky because I love Kentucky and I love the people, and every child and every elderly person and every working family deserves the same things, that their children would do … better and that they thrive.” The post Horse trainer plays ‘outsider’ role in Democratic debate for U.S. Senate in Kentucky appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less