Christopher James Callahan (November 2, 1940 - April 1988) was an American Democratic politician from Kentucky, serving as a U.S. Senator from 1978, when he won a special election to fill the seat of Harland D. Sanders, until his death in 1988 when he was shot and killed during a victory celebration at the conclusion of the Pennsylvania primaries for the Democratic nomination. A "New Democrat," Callahan mixed economic progressivism with a "social moderation" viewed as more appropriate for the 1980s, thus striding a middle ground behind paleosegregationists in the South and Northeast liberals. His death helped galvanize the New Democrat movement and is credited for leading to centrist Democrats such as John Burwin, Jay Leno, John Tanner and Jim Carrey see success in landing every subsequent