{"id":2309036,"date":"2024-07-26T05:51:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-26T09:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-top-of-the-ticket-switch-to-harris-leaves-congressional-race-chances-murky-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-26T05:56:04","modified_gmt":"2024-07-26T09:56:04","slug":"democrats-shift-to-harris-at-the-top-of-the-ticket-clouds-congressional-race-prospects-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-shift-to-harris-at-the-top-of-the-ticket-clouds-congressional-race-prospects-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats&#8217; shift to Harris at the top of the ticket clouds congressional race prospects &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrats-shift-to-harris-at-the-top-of-the-ticket-clouds-congressional-race-prospects-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2309036&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The \u200barticle discusses the political implications of President\u2062 Joe Biden&#8217;s withdrawal from the 2024\u200c presidential race, which many Democrats believe will tie them more closely to Vice President Kamala Harris as the party&#8217;s candidate.\u200b Biden&#8217;s campaign unraveled quickly after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/three-reasons-trumps-team-is-worried-hes-not-taking-kamala-harris-seriously-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Three reasons Trump\u2019s team is worried he\u2019s not taking Kamala Harris seriously - Washington Examiner\">poor \u200ddebate performance<\/a> against Donald\u200c Trump, leading to increased pressure \u200dfrom within the Democratic Party for him to step aside. This decision\u200c is seen as a double-edged sword; while it may help downballot candidates by distancing them from Biden&#8217;s image, \u200bit raises questions about Harris&#8217;s ability \u200cto appeal to a broader \u2063electorate, \u2063particularly in rural\u2063 and \u200cblue-collar \u2063areas.<\/p>\n<p>Despite \u2064the initial relief among Democrats\u200c at\u200d Biden&#8217;s exit, they had already \u2062been \u2062strategizing to separate themselves from him in competitive regions. The shift has prompted Republicans to refocus their messaging\u2062 to\u2063 criticize Harris as a representative of the Biden administration&#8217;s policies and perceived radical agendas. The tension between \u2062the need \u2063for a unified Democratic \u200bfront and the realities of individual candidates&#8217; political viability poses significant challenges \u200bas the \u2064election approaches. the article highlights the uncertainty in the Democratic Party as\u200c it navigates this transition\u2064 and the potential repercussions \u2062for upcoming elections.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Democrats&rsquo; top-of-the-ticket switch to Harris leaves congressional race chances murky<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1355990\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Democrats know they aren&rsquo;t tying themselves to President <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Joe Biden<\/a> at the top of the ticket in November. They will almost certainly be attached to Vice President <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris<\/a> as their party&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-only-37-of-democrats-want-to-see-biden-on-2024-ticket\/\" title=\"Poll: Only 37% of Democrats Want to See Biden on 2024 Ticket\">presidential standard-bearer<\/a>. Yet it&rsquo;s unclear whether chopping half of the Biden-Harris ticket will improve downballot candidates&rsquo; odds of winning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2024-elections\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"pivotal contests\">pivotal contests<\/a> that could determine control of the House and Senate.<\/p>\n<p>The unraveling of Biden&rsquo;s reelection campaign was quick. It began with a disastrous debate performance on June 27 against former President Donald Trump, now the 2024 Republican nominee. It was followed up by two weeks of fending off an angry press corps and ended with a letter posted on X saying he was quitting the race, without any notice for Cabinet members or campaign staff.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Biden was under immense pressure from the most powerful forces in his party to bow out of the contest, and his presence at the top of the ticket acted as a lead weight around the necks of downballot Democrats. Constant questions about whether the president was fit to complete his term, much less run for reelection, threatened to dampen Democratic spirits, all at a politically sensitive time, with House Democrats needing to net four seats in November to claim a majority and Senate Democrats trying to hold on to their perilous control of the chamber, with 51 seats to 49 for Republicans.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Joe Biden hugs Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign event on May 29. (Evan Vucci\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/07\/21\/why-biden-dropped-out-00170106\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>reportedly<\/a> prepared to present Biden with polling that contradicted what his inner circle was telling him and showed precisely how untenable the situation had become. If he didn&rsquo;t step aside, Democrats were heading for defeat not only in swing states but in safe blue regions such as Virginia and New Mexico as well.<\/p>\n<p>Bowing out of the 2024 contest wasn&rsquo;t how Biden imagined his career would end. But he was lauded for his efforts as Democrats quickly turned from despair to delight.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;President Biden&rsquo;s love of country and loyalty to the American people has been unwavering. He will undoubtedly go down in the history books as a true American patriot,&rdquo; Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said in a statement. &ldquo;I believe Vice President Harris has the experience, energy, and resolve to lead our nation and defeat Donald Trump and his backward agenda.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But while Democrats sang Biden&rsquo;s praises after he took himself out of contention, they were preparing to sever public ties with him days earlier.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Election analyst David Wasserman told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>Democrats had been trying to separate themselves from Biden and Harris in some of the most competitive regions in the country. And that strategy isn&rsquo;t likely to change unless Harris shows that the energy and excitement she has generated in the early days of her campaign is more than a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/opposition-widespread-to-giving-illegal-immigrants-a-child-tax-credit\/\" title=\"Many object to granting child tax credit to undocumented immigrants\">political sugar high<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The big question mark is what she does to Democrats in more blue-collar rural districts where she might be a harder sell,&rdquo; Wasserman said. &ldquo;The strategy for Democrats in those places is going to be to continue to cut and run from the top of the ticket. &hellip; I suspect that will still be the case if Kamala Harris is the nominee.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Joe Biden poses for a photo with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., during the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Republicans have scrambled to change their messaging that was centered on attacking Biden to focusing their rhetorical fire on Harris. Shifting their focus to Biden&rsquo;s No. 2 required some tweaking but allowed them to carry on criticizing the projects and policies of the current administration with a slightly different emphasis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A memo circulated by the National Republican Senatorial Committee laid out a clear path for Republicans who don&rsquo;t appear daunted by the Democratic change in plans.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;San Francisco radical Kamala Harris is seizing the Democrat nomination from Scranton Joe Biden,&rdquo; NRSC Executive Director Jason Thielman wrote. &rdquo;Democrats subverted the democratic process to anoint Kamala Harris with no input from their voters, and Republicans must be ready to shift gears.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Furthermore, Kamala Harris creates a strong downballot opportunity for Republicans. The case against Joe Biden relied in part on the fact that he was mentally unfit to hold office, which was difficult to translate downballot. Kamala Harris owns the Biden Administration&rsquo;s baggage and is an avowed radical. An endorsement of Kamala Harris is an endorsement of her extreme agenda, and Harris is arguably a bigger threat to Democrats&rsquo; Senate majority than Joe Biden.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A dueling memo from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee only hinted at the drama at the top of the ticket, focused on huge cash and polling advantages front-line Democrats have compared to vulnerable Republicans.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, heads to the chamber as senators arrive for the final votes of the week, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, May 4, 2023. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Despite a volatile month of ever-evolving political news, House Democrats remain well-positioned to win back the majority this fall,&rdquo; according to the memo. &ldquo;Thanks to our continued fundraising advantage, the individual strengths of our Frontliners and Red to Blue challengers, and a stark contrast between the forward-looking agenda of House Democrats and MAGA extremism, the DCCC is confident that we will retake the Majority and get the House back to work For the People.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Swapping candidates has resulted in a surge for Democrats. Harris reported bringing in $100 million in her first 24 hours and signing up 30,000 volunteers for her campaign. The same can&rsquo;t be said for Republicans, who have been mobilized and energized for months in response to Trump&rsquo;s legal woes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s not clear if either peaked too soon or whether Harris will have enough runway to define herself before voters go to the polls in roughly 100 days.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Democrats feel like they&rsquo;re back in the game after taking a third-quarter pounding, but it might be too little, too late.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1355990\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1355990\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats&#8217; decision to replace President Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris as their presidential candidate has left the prospects for congressional races uncertain. While they are distancing themselves from Biden, it remains to be seen if this change will enhance the chances of downballot candidates in crucial races that could influence control of the House and Senate. Biden&#8217;s reelection campaign unraveled rapidly, starting with a poor debate performance against Donald Trump on June 27, followed by weeks of negative press, culminating in his abrupt announcement to withdraw from the race via a post on X, without informing his Cabinet or campaign team beforehand. <\/p>\n<p>Under significant pressure from influential party members, Biden&#8217;s candidacy had become a liability for other Democrats, as ongoing doubts about his fitness for office threatened to dampen enthusiasm at a critical time. House Democrats need to gain four seats to secure a majority, while Senate Democrats are trying to maintain their slim 51-49 lead over Republicans. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly had polling data that contradicted Biden&#8217;s inner circle, indicating that his continued candidacy could jeopardize not just swing states but also traditionally safe Democratic areas like Virginia and New Mexico. <\/p>\n<p>Although Biden&#8217;s exit was not how he envisioned his political career ending, Democrats quickly shifted from despair to optimism, praising his dedication to the country. However, they had been preparing to distance themselves from him just days before his withdrawal. Election analyst David Wasserman noted that Democrats had been attempting to separate from Biden and Harris in competitive regions, a strategy likely to persist unless Harris can demonstrate sustained energy and excitement in her campaign. <\/p>\n<p>Republicans have adapted their messaging to focus on Harris instead of Biden, allowing them to continue criticizing the administration&#8217;s policies with a new angle. A memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee outlined a strategy to capitalize on Harris&#8217;s nomination, framing her as a radical and suggesting that her candidacy poses a greater threat to Democratic Senate control than Biden&#8217;s did. Meanwhile, a memo from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee emphasized the advantages House Democrats have in fundraising and polling compared to vulnerable Republicans, expressing confidence in regaining the majority.<\/p>\n<p>Harris&#8217;s campaign has seen a surge, raising $100 million in her first 24 hours and recruiting 30,000 volunteers, while Republicans have been energized by Trump&#8217;s legal challenges. However, it remains uncertain whether either side has peaked too early or if Harris will have enough time to establish her identity before the election in about 100 days. Although Democrats feel revitalized after a challenging third quarter, it may be too late to make a significant impact<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2702,"featured_media":2309037,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/WB.Congress-073124.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[36274,3685,34059,32438,32504],"class_list":["post-2309036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-congressional-race","tag-democrats","tag-election-2024","tag-kamala-harris","tag-political-strategy"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/WB.Congress-073124.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2309036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2702"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2309036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2309036\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2309037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2309036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2309036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2309036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}