 Charles Booker, an American politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, made a stop in Pikeville to discuss his stance on the New Green Deal and speak about his campaign in hopes of taking Mitch McConnell's U.S. Senate seat. The one the office doesn't belong to you, it belongs to the people. The movement is about elevating the voices of Kentucky. Yeah, my inspiration to get into public service was really out of survival. Just growing up in what has been the poorest zip code in the state in West Louisville and seeing my family go through so much struggle, job opportunities leaving, I'm a type one diabetic, I've had to ration insulin. Just seeing a lot of adversity really inspired me to want to fight for better because I know that a lot of Kentuckians deal with a lot of challenges but we're better than that, we're stronger than that and we're not defined by those things and we need leaders that care about us. And so, you know, in the public space where policy decisions, budgetary decisions are made, we need folks that see us that know our struggles, know our aspirations and won't play politics with our lives and so that's my conviction and why I'm running for United States Senate is we need that in the office that currently is held by someone who calls himself the grim reaper. While we're dying from opioid abuse and addiction, folks that have had to ration our insulin are not as lucky as I am to still be here or dealing with the pain and trauma of losing someone from gun violence or not having food on the table. This is a matter of urgency and it's bigger than beating Mitch McConnell. It's really about how do we win our future and I think that's why the conversation about not only a Green New Deal but a Kentucky New Deal is so important because it's saying how do we lead for the future and the biggest thing that I took away from the room is that listen to us, listen to Kentuckians. We know the solutions because we know what we're seeing on the ground and still these politicians telling us what's good for us, listen to us and that's what I'm committed to do with this campaign. Yeah, well, you know, for me, I prefer to be on the front lines. Instead of sitting up high and looking down and making judgments like Mitch McConnell has done on us, I've lived the struggle that a lot of politicians talk about and so when I saw those miners on the tracks, I knew what that felt like. I knew what the desperation of seeing opportunities leave, what that feels like and so I stood on those tracks with them to say that we're family and if you're trying to block that train from taking that coal out and leaving you in the dust, I'm going to stand with you and I think that's the type of leadership we need right now to see us and hear us and that I'm committed to locking arms with you and building a future that means Mitch McConnell has to go but also means that we're going to have a Kentucky where we don't have to decide between keeping the lights on or putting food on the table or watching as these co-jobs leave and we're stuck on the tracks stranded. That's what this work is about and I'm committed to it because this is about our survival, these Kentuckians, it's my family and this is personal for me.