Pictured are U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky (wearing blue suit), who won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate on Tues, May 17, and former state representative Charles Booker (weaing tan suit), a Black Louisville Democrat, won the Democratic nomination. The two will square off in November for the midterm elections

The Associated press called the race early on Tuesday, Kentucky's U.S. Senate primary race one of several being closely watched across the country.

Booker, 38, who rose to prominence as a community advocate during the Breonna Taylor protests, won against three obscure candidates, and Paul, 59, making his third six-year term, won over five low profile opponents,

A former state representative who succeeded Darryl Owens into office and the first Black Democratic candidate to be nominated for statewide election in Kentucky history, Booker is making his second run for the U.S. Senate after running in 2020 and losing the Democratic nomination to retired Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath, who went on to lose the general election to Republican Mitch McConnell.

A son of former three-time presidential candidate and 12-term former U.S. represetative of Texas, Ron Paul, Sen. Rand Paul heads into the November election with an $8.6 million campaign war chest and Booker has some $470,000. Currently the U.S Senate consists of 50 Democrats, 48 Republicans, and two independents with Republicans vying to take control in November of both the U.S House of Representatives, which the Democrats control, and the Senate.

While eyes are on U.S. Senate races on Tuesday in places like Kentucky and North Carolina, Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race is considered by many the most closely watched contest being held on May 17. At stake there is the open Senate primary, with Republican Senator Pat Toomey retiring