WASHINGTON – Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries provided a succinct answer this week when asked if President Joe Biden was a liability for the most vulnerable House Democrats seeking reelection — “No.”
But a growing number of congressional Democrats are indicating otherwise. And it's not just the lawmakers representing true battleground districts but also House members in districts viewed as relatively safe.
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About 20 House Democrats have called on the president to withdraw from the race since his debate with former President Donald Trump two weeks ago, and the number is growing by the day. Some are in highly competitive races, such as Reps. Angie Craig of Minnesota, Eric Sorensen of Illinois and Pat Ryan of New York. Others hold seats in Democratic strongholds, such as Reps. Mike Quigley of Illinois and Adam Smith of Washington.
With Republicans having a strong chance to retake the Senate and Trump gaining momentum for the presidency, many Democrats view the House as their best chance of preventing the GOP from controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress. They need to flip just four seats to retake the majority and give Democrats a seat at the table for any major legislative initiative. Still, some lawmakers fear their chances are slipping away.
The focal point for lawmakers asking Biden to withdraw is stopping Trump from being reelected. But Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., said the risk is wider than that. He said on MSNBC that “the trajectory, what Americans believe in their bones right now, suggests not only that Joe Biden would lose this race, but that we would lose the Senate and the House.”
The call by some for Biden to step aside also could be smart political strategy. Steve Israel, a former New York congressman who led House Democratic election efforts twice, said lawmakers in competitive districts have to localize their races no matter who is at the top of the presidential ticket. Some are doing so now with their calls for the president to withdraw.
“You've got to make a distinction between the national political brand and your own,” Israel said.
Rep. Richard Hudson, chair of the election campaign arm for House Republicans, claimed that every member of Congress has known Biden is “cognitively impaired” and now “these Democrats that are in competitive seats are running and hiding.” He said it’s too late for those calling for Biden to step aside now.
“I just think it’s very callous, and it’s very hypocritical. And I think the voters are going to see through it,” Hudson said.
Rep. Jared Golden of Maine has not called on Biden to end his candidacy but has said he expects him to lose, which could provide some separation. Still, Golden said he isn't worried about Biden's impact on his race.
“All I know is I outperformed Joe Biden by 13 points in the last election and I got a thousand more votes than Donald Trump in that election. I’m not worrying about that, and my record in opposition to the Biden administration is pretty well established," Golden said. “So, no, I’m not as concerned about that as a lot of my colleagues, but that’s their issue.”
He noted that he voted with Biden on major infrastructure, veterans and semiconductor manufacturing bills, but against his rescue plan during the pandemic. He said he’ll also be introducing a bill establishing a 10% universal tariff on imports, an idea Trump has proposed.
Golden rejected assertions from Republicans that swing district Democrats knew Biden was feeble but silently enabled him.
“Back in February, I expressed very openly to the press that an 81-year-old and a 78-year-old should not be on the ballot for president of the United States," Golden said. "This is not a new concern for me. Nor do I think it’s a new concern for most Americans."
Some lawmakers in competitive races are still embracing the president. Rep. Steven Horsford, a Nevada Democrat and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he will join Biden at a campaign stop in his district this week. He said the event will focus on housing affordability and job training for young adults, among other things.
Asked if he was comfortable campaigning with Biden, Horsford said he is focused on tackling issues around housing and driving down the cost of rent and child care.
“Anyone who wants to work with me and my constituents to address those issues, I’m willing to have them join me," Horsford said.
Democratic leadership continues to express optimism. Julie Merz, executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Democratic incumbents in competitive districts “are outperforming the top of the ticket in the overwhelming majority of polls we have received since May, including after the debate.”
“We will win back the House this fall because House Republicans are anti-choice extremists, obsessed with giving more tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy, and can’t even deliver on basic tasks like keeping the government open without votes from House Democrats,” Merz said.
Still, Quigley, one of the first Democrats to call on Biden to step aside, said the polling he's seen is “trending the wrong way.”
“We haven't had a good day since the debate,” Quigley said.
Republicans in Biden-won districts are also certainly feeling better about their prospects of winning reelection and keeping the House under GOP control despite their slim margin with a 220-213 House majority.
“The lack of enthusiasm for Biden and the Democratic ticket are only helping what was already the winds at our back,” said Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, R-N.Y., who represents a district that Biden won handily in 2020.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said Democrats for eight years have tried to make close congressional races a referendum on Trump. Now, it's happening with Biden.
“I think voters are looking and seeing a real problem with Joe Biden on top of the ticket, and I think Democrats obviously have a challenge moving forward," Lawler said.
Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., said he’s trying to stay focused on the issues most in the mind of voters, which is the affordability of groceries and gas.
“I think spiking the football in the wake of the debate is not a healthy thing for either party. We shouldn’t be celebrating the debate, frankly,” Garcia said.