Senate Democrats who managed to win their states despite President-elect Donald Trump’s victory think the Democratic Party should take some cues from their campaigns as it struggles to regain control of Washington.
Sen.-elect Elissa Slotkin of Michigan spoke to reporters during a briefing at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on Tuesday, emphasizing the significance of concentrating on issues that affect the kitchen table. She said, “I think it’s a very important message to talk about those issues plainly, not from the faculty lounge, but from the assembly line.”
Due to a combination of ticket-splitters and people who only cast ballots in the presidential election, Slotkin is one of four Democratic Senate candidates who managed to win their battleground states while Vice President Kamala Harris lost them. Focusing on economic concerns and their congressional histories, along with reaching out to voters in Republican-leaning districts, were key factors in these Democrats’ victories.
Personally, I believe identity politics should be abandoned, Slotkin stated. Regardless of the party or group they belong to, people must be treated as independent Americans.
While Trump won their states, Slotkin, Arizona Sen.-elect Ruben Gallego, Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen, and Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin also emerged victorious. Only one other senator (Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine) has won in a state that supported the opposing party’s presidential nominee in 2016 and 2020, making the split results uncommon in the divisive Trump era.
Baldwin and Rosen also discussed how they effectively called their opponents “carpetbaggers” for their extensive ties to neighboring states.
Despite those wins, Republicans were able to flip seats in Montana, Ohio, and West Virginia, causing Democrats to lose the Senate majority. Additionally, the GOP might win a seat in Pennsylvania. The contest between Republican Dave McCormick and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey has gone to a recount, and NBC News has yet to determine a winner. McCormick is now up by around a quarter of a percentage point.
After taking over the ticket in late July, Harris encountered some challenges in managing a lengthy campaign, as Democrats admitted.
Baldwin stated, “We all discussed being present everywhere, listening, and delivering.” And it’s difficult to accomplish that in 107 days, in my opinion. However, Trump has been doing that for years and was a well-known figure.
Although Gallego acknowledged that the tight timetable was a problem, he said he thought the Harris campaign conducted a fantastic race.
The issue was that there wasn’t enough time for people to learn about her. With Arizona’s inflation rate stubbornly high, Gallego added, “I think this was going to be a tough race for whoever was the nominee, because it ended up being a race on the economy.”
A question about whether President Joe Biden should have called a primary or terminated his campaign sooner was not immediately addressed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Schumer described Joe Biden as an exceptional president and said, “I’m not going to say anything bad about him.” Shortly after Biden’s declaration, Schumer claimed Harris informed him that she wanted and was prepared to run for the nomination in an open process.
Schumer claimed that a groundswell immediately followed, and she swiftly emerged as the nominee for a variety of reasons.
Schumer also cited the Senate victories as further proof that the party should prioritize the economy, even though his party lost the Senate, the House, and the White House.
We learn that economic concerns are important. According to Schumer, things that directly impact people’s lives are important. Another lesson is to demonstrate a great deal of empathy. Democrats might be a bit too solution-focused at times, and people prefer to hear empathy before you provide solutions. I am aware that the cost of beef has skyrocketed, which is extremely detrimental to your finances and impacts not just you but also my family and others. After that, discuss solutions.
And I believe that’s what all four of these candidates did.
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