One of the many issues Democrats will have to address this morning is the impact of President Biden’s performance in last night’s debate on lesser candidates.
Shortly after the debate, Politico’s Arie Mutnick I wrote about it on my blog.“There’s talk among Democrats that Joe Biden’s performance tonight could scare off major campaign donors and outside groups, causing pain for lower-ranking constituencies. ‘I don’t think people are ready for a sudden drop in donations tomorrow,'” said one Democrat involved in multiple 2024 races.
While pundits and Republican candidates in battleground state House races reacted openly to the debate, some Democratic candidates either declined to participate or distanced themselves from the sitting president.
Pennsylvania
David Urban, a Republican who was on the CNN panel and an adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign, warned that Biden’s debate could be the catalyst for Democrats’ losses in lower-level elections.
“Penn State’s Bob Casey is definitely vomiting in his mouth tonight,” Urban said.
The Pennsylvania senator is in a tight race against Republican David McCormick to be re-elected to a fourth term.
“As Americans, putting politics aside for a second, we should be concerned. Our founders, our forefathers, had some vision for this. They had something called the 25th Amendment. If those around the president believe he can’t handle his responsibilities in wartime, they have a responsibility to acknowledge that and possibly replace the president,” McCormick said.
Republican House candidate Ryan McKenzie is challenging the incumbent Democratic candidate in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, which serves the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania.
“We’ve watched Joe Biden try to do the impossible,” MacKenzie said. “He’s defending four years of open borders, out-of-control spending, skyrocketing prices, and a declining standing in the world. Joe Biden and his allies like Susan Wilde can try to cover up their dismal record, but it won’t work. Every day, voters see the results of their bad policies in their grocery stores, workplaces, gas stations, and neighborhoods. That’s why we all need to vote for change on November 5th.”
His opponent, Democratic Rep. Susan Wild, was a full supporter of Biden before the debate, but afterward focused on Trump’s performance. “If you want to hear about a lying extremist man, I’m happy to talk about that,” Wild told reporters on Friday morning.
Rob Bresnahan is also running in a hotly contested district (District 8, Pocono Mountains/Scranton area) against the incumbent Democrat. “There is a leadership vacuum in the White House. Joe Biden may be a good guy, but it’s time for him to retire. It’s time for new leadership in Washington, D.C.”
Arizona
Dr. Zudi Jasser, a primary care physician and Navy veteran, is the Republican candidate in the 4th Congressional District. “What we saw tonight was a President Biden who can’t even be coherent, let alone lead a country,” he said.
Blake Masters, Republican candidate for the 8th Congressional District, Tweeted“This format is absolutely devastating for Biden. And by ‘format’ I mean ‘woke’. Meanwhile, Trump is on a roll and dominating this debate. He will be elected president in November.”
In Chandler, Kelly Cooper, a Republican candidate likely to face off against Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton in the 4th Congressional District in November, told the Post, “After tonight’s debate, it’s clear Biden is unfit to be president. He hasn’t kept our border secure and he’s let our economy languish. The American people deserve change.”
Republican Senate candidate Kali Lake hosted an event in Laveen on Friday with Utah Sen. Mike Lee. “I feel more anxious about the next four and a half months than I have in the past,” she said. “Joe Biden is not capable of governing this country. Everyone who watched the debate knows that, and I think my Democratic friends know that too,” the Trump-endorsed candidate added.
Virginia
Democrat Missy Cotter Smasal Reportedly On Friday afternoon, he missed an event for military veterans that he was scheduled to attend before Trump’s rally in Chesapeake. Tweet “I will always support our veterans and military families,” she said Thursday morning.
Cotter-Smasal sent an email after the debate claiming she had beaten Republican incumbent and newcomer Jen Kiggans, who is one of the Democratic House Campaign Committee’s top candidates this year and flipped the seat from Democrat to Republican in 2022.
Wisconsin
Incumbent Republican Congressman Derrick Van Alden Tweeted“Biden [sic] A train wreck looking for the tracks. @CNN laid more high-speed rail in 90 minutes than the Biden administration has laid in three years. Fact check: It’s true.
Ben Voelkel, a spokesman for Eric Hovde, the Republican candidate in Wisconsin’s hotly contested Senate race, told The Post on Friday morning, “It’s not surprising that President Biden has a hard time explaining the dire consequences of the inflationary and open border policies that Senator Baldwin fully supports. What’s even more surprising is that Senator Baldwin wants four more years of the runaway inflation that families feel every day and the open borders that have allowed dangerous criminals, terrorists and deadly drugs to flood our country.”
Senator Tammy Baldwin said,I am proudHaving reportedly voted for President Biden 95.5% of the time, she reportedly distanced herself from the president on Friday. Reports“Tammy Baldwin is running her own campaign for the people of Wisconsin,” her campaign spokesman, Andrew Mamo, told local reporters.
Incumbent Rep. Brian Steele is defending his seat against Democrat Rep. Peter Barca. The location was secured “It’s clear we can’t afford another four years of Joe Biden’s policies. From a crumbling border to the rising cost of living, Joe Biden has failed to offer a plan to address the concerns of the American people,” Steele told The Washington Post.
Michigan
In Michigan, a battleground state where Democrats control Congress and the executive branch, party supporters came to Biden’s defence after his debate performance.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer Tweeted“From his failed response to COVID-19 to inciting an insurrection to being convicted on 34 counts for plotting to illegally influence the 2016 election, Donald Trump continues to blame everyone but himself. I think he needs to touch grass.”
Michigan is a key battleground state with fierce House elections in the 7th and 8th Congressional Districts.
The Senate race in the Great Lakes state is also tight, with Reps. Elissa Slotkin (Democrat) and Mike Rogers (Republican) the leading candidates.
Trump flipped the state in 2016 with the backing of former President Barack Obama’s supporters, but Biden narrowly won it in 2020.
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The Trump campaign in Michigan said Biden’s weak performance would affect the outcome of all the elections in the state.
“Joe Biden’s performance has not only made it abundantly clear that he is unfit and incompetent to be president of the United States, but President Trump has proven that he is the man we need to get America back on track,” Victoria LaCivita, Trump’s Michigan communications director, told the Post. “Michiganers want commonsense Republican policies led by President Trump, and that momentum will carry over to lower-ranking Republicans who share his vision.”
Ohio
“President Biden’s poor performance in last night’s debate should cause concern for Democrats running in lower-ranked districts, such as Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio,” said Chris Devine, a political science professor at the University of Dayton.
“With Biden coming out on top, Democrats may have a hard time mobilizing some of their Ohio supporters to get out to the polls, which could be enough to make the difference in what is expected to be the closest Senate race this year,” he added.
Additional reporting by Josh Christenson.
