Democrats heartened by victories in Tuesday’s off-year elections believe affluent suburban voters are turning away from President Donald Trump — a trend they hope to capitalize on in next year’s midterms.
“We have an historic chance to win back Congress by making Donald Trump the issue in [congressional] districts,” David Wade, the Democratic strategist who served as a chief of staff to former secretary of State John Kerry, told The Hill.
“You can't allow any Republican incumbent to separate themselves from Trump's brand, period. Whether it's his failed promises, or his inability to do anything for the suburbs on basic quality of life issues from middle class taxes to health care costs to wages, you need to draw a straight line from the Republican incumbent to Trump.”
According to The Hill, one top target for Democrats will be Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., who represents a district bordering Washington, D.C. — noting Fairfax County voters gave Democrat Ralph Northam a 37-point edge over Republican Ed Gillespie in Tuesday’s gubernatorial contest.
“Transactionally things are going in our direction and a lot of it is reaction and rejection of Trump, including women and certainly white suburban voters,” former California Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher told The Hill.
In New Jersey, Democrat Phil Murphy won in part on a strong showing from the suburban counties of New York and Philadelphia, The Hill reported.
“For all the talk about Democrats needing a better message and trying to win over Republicans, the bottom line is that opposing Trump turned out the vote and turned off suburbanites to the GOP,” Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, told The Hill.
Wade said the same issues that drove voters to the polls in this election — Trump — will likely lure them back during the midterm elections next year.
“…Let’s not pretend this is going to be anything but a referendum on Donald Trump,” Wade said. “Ralph Northam didn’t just win out of abundance of charisma or because he had a vision. He won because Donald Trump was a millstone around Gillespie’s neck and Northam himself was acceptable to voters.”
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