Booker and Barr trade sharp words in Lexington as the race for McConnell’s seat heats up

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Andy Barr and Democratic nominee Charles Booker defended their policies and plans in a one-hour live televised debate.

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If you were hoping for a polite chat about policy, this wasn’t it.

Democrat Charles Booker and Republican Congressman Andy Barr met Monday night in Lexington for a live, 60-minute debate. Both want to replace Mitch McConnell in the U.S. Senate. Over the hour, they went back and forth on guns, data centers, surveillance cameras and the war with Iran. Several of those exchanges got personal.

School shootings: “How do we prevent the next one?”

The first big question was about keeping kids safe at school.

Booker started with empathy. “I cannot imagine the pain of losing your child due to senseless violence,” he said. “When they’re going to school they should be safe. We are not powerless in this, we can put common sense measures in place to keep our children and our communities safe.”

He then turned to Barr. “We need to make sure we have leaders that will stand up for our rights,” Booker said. “Andy Barr has shown he would trample over the constitution.” Booker said he wants to keep firearms away from children, require background checks and keep “weapons of war” off the streets.

Barr pointed to a citizen who stopped a shooter. “We are so grateful that there was a good guy with a gun, exercising his second amendment freedoms, to take out that individual,” he said. Barr said his votes in Congress have targeted the root of the problem, including the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, which he said helps intervene with young people who are suffering while keeping firearms out of their hands.

Data centers: “What regulations, if any, do you support?”

On data centers, both candidates said Kentuckians shouldn’t pay the price, but they landed in different places on what to do about it.

Barr said no Kentuckian should see higher utility bills or worry about water quality because of a data center. He said he voted for the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act, which he said Senate Democrats blocked. He also said he believes in local control and framed AI as a global contest. “We have to win the AI race,” Barr said, “because the country that wins the AI race is the country that will set the rules for AI.” He described it as a strategic competition with China.

Booker took a harder line. “I was the first in this election cycle to call for a moratorium on data centers in Kentucky,” he said. He said Kentucky needs good jobs and a plan for the future, “but it cannot be done at the expense of the people.” He called AI “a strategic tool to help working people, not a weapon to exploit and hurt” them.

Flock cameras: “Do you support them?”

Booker said he wants clear rules and limits. He said he hears Kentuckians’ concerns and that the state has to stand against mass surveillance, even as he acknowledged police need tools to do their jobs.

Then he went after his opponent. “Andy Barr will put data centers in your backyard and flock cameras on your front porch,” Booker said. “Why you ask? Because he is for sale.” He noted that Barr has been in Congress for 14 years and said that record has done nothing to protect people’s rights and liberties. Booker said he stands with Congressman Thomas Massie, who has spoken out against Flock cameras, and added that “these issues aren’t partisan to me.”

Barr fired back. “If Charles Booker was in charge we would have defunded police, we’d have no cash bail, and Jeffrey Epstein could live within a thousand feet of a school yard,” he said.

He then said he supports guardrails. “We can protect Americans’ privacy without sacrificing security,” Barr said. He said Flock data should be deleted after a set period and that people who abuse it should be held accountable.

The Iran war: “We lost two Kentuckians. What’s the exit strategy?”

This was the most emotional exchange of the night, and the biggest divide.

Barr defended the war. “We owe it to them to finish the job and win,” he said, referring to the two Kentuckians killed. He said the Iranian navy is “at the bottom of the Persian Gulf,” its air force has been destroyed and its nuclear infrastructure is “under rubble.” He said the objective has largely been achieved, though more work remains in the Strait of Hormuz to restore exports. He said President Trump didn’t start this war but is “ending a 47-year war” against the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.

Booker said the war should end now. “The only reason he thinks the Iran war is a success is because his billionaire friends are getting rich off of it,” Booker said. “I believe we need to end this war. I believe we need to bring our loved ones back home.”

Immigration: Balancing border security with Kentucky’s workforce needs

The candidates were also asked how to balance border security with the needs of Kentucky’s workforce.

Booker said he supports both security and a path forward for people already here. “I believe we must secure our border. We have to do everything we can to keep Kentucky safe,” he said. He said the country also has to address the immigration crisis in a way that strengthens the economy and protects families. “I believe we need pathways to citizenship,” Booker said. He called for clearing the backlog in the court system, which he said has left many families pursuing the American dream, “doing everything we ask of them,” with an infraction that amounts to out-of-date paperwork.

Barr focused on the border itself. “Thanks to the work of this administration and this Congress, no more,” he said. “There is no more catch and release. There hasn’t been a release in 16 months, and we have a secure border.” He said any problems with ICE should be addressed. He then pivoted back to policing, arguing that under-resourcing law enforcement is how you fail to attract the best people to the job.

The bottom line

The debate gave voters a clear contrast. Booker cast himself as the candidate who will stand up to corporate interests, and he accused Barr of being beholden to them. Barr cast himself as a steady, experienced lawmaker and painted Booker as too far left on policing and public safety.

You can watch the entire debate here. The election is November 3.

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