Barack Obama endorses Charles Booker in Kentucky's Senate race two days before the election

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Nov. 2) — Former President Barack Obama endorsed Democrat Charles Booker for the U.S. Senate on Sunday, two days before Kentucky voters choose a successor to retiring Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, CBS News reported, which received the statement first.

In the statement, Obama said Booker "cares deeply about the people of Kentucky" and would give working families a senator who understands their struggles. Booker said he was "humbled and honored" by the endorsement.

Obama has never before endorsed a candidate in a Kentucky Senate race, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. This is Booker's third run for the Senate and his second time as the Democratic nominee on the general election ballot.

Booker faces Republican Rep. Andy Barr, whom President Donald Trump has endorsed and campaigned for at a rally in Northern Kentucky earlier this month, WLKY reported. Barr has called Booker a "socialist experiment," according to CBS News.

The Cook Political Report rates the race solid Republican, and the Enquirer noted it has drawn far less national money than Senate contests in Texas, Michigan and Maine. Booker's campaign says its internal polling shows the race tightening and points to strong Democratic turnout in early voting. Secretary of State Michael Adams said Friday that at least 95,645 registered Democrats and 83,726 registered Republicans had voted by then, CBS reported.

The endorsement caps a week in which Booker also picked up support from several Democratic senators and from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and campaigned with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

Polls in Kentucky are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday.