UK basketball star Rex Chapman introduces Amy McGrath at Paducah event.

(Paducah KY - August 31, 2020) - Senate candidate Amy McGrath flew into Paducah for a socially distanced meet and greet on one of the steamiest days of a steamy West Kentucky summer.

The event was held at the new McCracken County Democratic headquarters at 1025 Jefferson Street in Paducah. The brick building features a large parking lot in front and as yet filled office space inside.

Rex Chapman, a former UK basketball, introduced McGrath saying "I'm tired of Mitch."

He said that beating McConnell will be as satisfying as beating the team that beat the Chicago Bulls. "I will feel it's been my greatest team effort. "

This was the first Paducah campaign event for the Democrat seeking to oust Senator Mitch McConnell in several months and so far the largest. One hundred seventy five masked supporters showed up to meet the candidate whom most had only seen on television and Facebook ads.

In an interview with 21 year old Dujuan Thomas, who filmed an interview with the candidate, McGrath praised him for being politically involved. (Thomas is running for mayor of Paducah as a write in candidate.https://www.facebook.com/DujuanforMayor/ ) She noted that his generation had never seen a functioning federal government because of the hold Senator McConnell has held over the Senate during Thomas' lifetime.

Grabbing a chance to speak to Lt. Colonel (ret) McGrath, I got in two questions by rudely blocking her access to the restroom.

Answering a question about what the Marine pilot before her retirement would do for veterans, McGrath wound up like a pitcher on the first day of the World Series.

"First of all, we have to have leaders that understand what veterans are going through right now. We have a senator who is consistently cutting funding for mental health. Veterans are having trouble with PTSD.

I'm a veteran. I'm going to be someone who constantly supports the VA and puts more money into our veterans, not less.

This is a little bit in the weeds here. There is a finite window for a soldier to sign up for veteran's benefits. If you don't get to it within that window, you lose out." That is not something in the front of the mind of soldiers leaving the military. They want to get out and move on.

According to the website www.disabilitysecrets.com "To be eligible to apply for veterans disability benefits, one must be a veteran of U.S. military service, an active service member with an impending discharge between 180 and 60 days through the Benefits Delivery at Discharge program (BDD), or an active service member within 60 days of impending discharge through the BDD Quick Start claim process."

But missing that window can be catastrophic. McGrath offered the example of a solder experiencing symptoms from a service related traumatic brain injury five years after discharge. If that soldier missed the sign up period, he or she may be out of luck to receive treatment by the VA.

McGrath vowed to change that. "If you have a DD 214 and you show me your DD 214, I will care for you. I don't care if you're 95 years old. This country will care for you."

Candidate Amy McGrath is the mother of three children under the age of eight. How does that affect policies she will support if she is elected?

McGrath began by telling supporters that the global pandemic is the first international crisis that no one in the world is looking to America for leadership. She accused Mitch McConnell of making America weaker.

"During the height of World War II, we were losing 250 Americans a day. We are now losing 1000 Americans a day to corona virus."

McGrath knows firsthand that child care is an essential need. She vowed to fight to make universal pre-K services available for all children.

"This pandemic has taught us everyone wants to go back to work. Childcare providers need protective gear and there must be subsidies. I'll do that. Mitch McConnell will not."

McGrath began by telling supporters that the global pandemic is the first international crisis that no one in the world is looking to America for leadership. She accused Mitch McConnell of making America weaker.

"During the height of World War II, we were losing 250 Americans a day. We are now losing 1000 Americans a day to corona virus."

We have an economy in shambles. It hasn't been this bad since the Great Depression. She accused McConnell of being on vacation. She called his absence "dereliction of duty."

McGrath leaned in to the crowd and said "We can do better."

Her mission now is to make that happen. Her Marine Corps leadership training taught her that it is necessary to take responsibility and to have a plan. She accused her opponent of not taking responsibility and having no plan.

She said she has a plan of action to make Kentucky a better place and to attack the corona virus.

McGrath advocates extending unemployment benefits, funding state and local governments, among other get the economy moving again initiatives.

She emphasized her belief in term limits, noting she does not want to be in Congress for forty years, which McConnell will achieve should he be reelected.

Raising over forty million dollars, she's the best funded Democratic candidate in over three decades. The race is sure to get bitterer as November 3^rd approaches. McGrath has her work cut out for her. McConnell is a street fighter whose method of putting voters' attentions on his opponent's shortcomings. He has easily defeated every Democratic challenger.

Kentuckians generally don't tune in to Senate debates, but it's expected there will be more interest this year. McGrath has accepted invitations to three debates scheduled. Besides McGrath and McConnell, Libertarian candidate Brad Barron has also been invited to participate.

In 2020, Democrats are sending out Amy McGrath, a Marine on a mission.