{"id":2331969,"date":"2024-08-27T17:35:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-27T21:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/battle-for-house-control-tightens-with-harris-sugar-high-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-27T17:39:10","modified_gmt":"2024-08-27T21:39:10","slug":"battle-for-house-control-tightens-with-harris-sugar-high-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/battle-for-house-control-tightens-with-harris-sugar-high-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Battle for House control tightens with Harris &#8216;sugar high&#8217; &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/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%2Fbattle-for-house-control-tightens-with-harris-sugar-high-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=2331969&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 article discusses the shifting dynamics\u2063 in the \u2062race for control of the House of \u2064Representatives\u200d in\u2064 light of Vice \u2062President Kamala Harris&#8217;s rising popularity following her recent elevation to the top\u200c of\u200b the Democratic ticket\u2062 after President Biden&#8217;s withdrawal.\u200b House\u200d Republicans,\u200b holding \u200ca previously strong lead, are now seeing\u2062 that\u200d advantage wane, with polling indicating \u200ba competitive environment. While Democrats are optimistic\u200b about Harris&#8217;s\u200c potential\u2063 to enhance their chances\u2014especially in battleground districts\u2014Republican leaders dismiss\u200b her recent polling surge \u200cas a passing\u200c &#8220;sugar\u200d high,&#8221; attributing it to the \u2063Democratic \u200bNational Convention&#8217;s aftermath.<\/p>\n<p>Republican\u200b House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed confidence that Harris\u2064 will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-economy-still-top-priority-while-inflation-worries-rise-and-covid-fears-fade\/\" title=\"Poll: Economy Still Top Priority, While Inflation Worries Rise and Covid Fears Fade\">face considerable challenges<\/a>, particularly during debates and public engagements, where she \u200dhas not yet \u200cneeded to go off-script. Despite the\u2063 enthusiasm surrounding Harris, Republicans maintain that concerns about her record\u200d will favor them in down-ballot races.\u200c They argue \u200dthat \u200bthe \u200cburst\u2062 of Democratic fundraising since Harris&#8217;s\u2064 campaign launch will help counteract Republican strengths,\u2064 yet GOP strategists\u2063 believe that they will\u200b ultimately retain \u200cand \u200dpotentially expand their House majority.<\/p>\n<p>the article highlights the intensifying battle for the House, with both parties \u200backnowledging that the upcoming election will be fiercely \u2063contested, made more\u2063 critical by \u200dHarris&#8217;s role as the Democratic\u200c frontrunner.  <\/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\">Battle for House control tightens with Democrats riding Harris &lsquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harris-gives-florida-dems-hope-as-gop-writes-off-sugar-high-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Harris gives Florida Dems hope as GOP writes off \u2018sugar high\u2019 - Washington Examiner\">sugar high&#038;rsquo<\/a>;<\/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_1738477\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>House Republicans are unconcerned with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Vice President Kamala Harris&rsquo;s<\/a> recent surge in nationwide polling, brushing it off as an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3132406\/democratic-pollsters-voice-skepticism-harris-surge-polls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>artificial boost<\/a> stemming from the recent change at the top of the ticket and leftover enthusiasm from the Democratic National Convention last week.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>In the final weeks of President Joe Biden&rsquo;s reelection bid, House Republicans held a substantial lead over their Democratic opponents with a 61% chance of winning the lower chamber, according to polling from <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/4848676-harris-replaces-biden-democrats-advantage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>the <em>Hill <\/em>and Decision Desk HQ.<\/a> That&rsquo;s now dropped to 56% with Harris at the top of the ticket.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Harris has cut away at former President Donald Trump&rsquo;s lead in national polling, <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/house\/4848739-house-democrats-optimistic-harris-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>with the survey<\/a> showing the vice president with a 56% chance of winning the White House &mdash; up from Biden&rsquo;s 44%.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Even so, House Republicans are confident they will win control of the lower chamber, even as the polling advantages they boasted just a few weeks ago begin to dissipate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Democrats are on a sugar high. Everybody&rsquo;s acknowledged that,&rdquo; House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said at a campaign event in Minneapolis on Monday. &ldquo;The little bounce they get out of the convention is always expected, but I think that Kamala Harris is about to be put to the real test.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>That test will also be applied to Democratic lawmakers returning from the DNC who must now adjust to the campaign trail post-Biden, according to GOP strategists.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Much of the environment now is framed on Democrats coming home in their post-Biden sugar high,&rdquo; a former Republican National Committee spokesperson told the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>&ldquo;But for all of the adulation of Harris, the race is neck and neck, as is the battle for Congress.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Johnson similarly pushed back on assertions that current polling spells trouble for his conference to maintain, or even grow, its slim majority in the House. While the top GOP leader recognized Democrats&rsquo; recent fundraising prowess and polling advantages, the speaker suggested it is only temporary &mdash; arguing the final sprint to the election begins after Labor Day.<\/p>\n<p>Ron Bonjean, a GOP political strategist, told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>the holiday will serve as a &ldquo;reset,&rdquo; particularly as Harris and Trump prepare for a debate on Sept. 10 that will determine &ldquo;where things are and where the energy is.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a newfound energy because [Democrats] thought they were going to lose all three &mdash; you know, the White House and Congress &mdash; with Joe Biden, and now they feel like they have a fighting chance,&rdquo; Bonjean said. &ldquo;The challenge they have, though, is they have a candidate that has not been tested with a debate or even a media interview. So we have somebody who&rsquo;s just completely scripted&hellip;and she has to go off-script to provide some insight [and] to answer questions from the media.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>That energy has especially been felt in GOP-held districts that Biden won in 2020 where Democrats initially became concerned voters would be less likely to support the president after his lackluster debate in June. Now they are now feeling confident in Harris&rsquo;s chances.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Now that Harris is at the top of the ticket, what I&rsquo;ve been seeing in district-level polling is that she is performing close to Biden&rsquo;s 2020 numbers in these districts, whereas before, when Biden was still at the top of the ticket, Biden was dragging and doing significantly worse than he was in these districts in 2020,&rdquo; Erin Covey, a House analyst with the <em>Cook Political Report, <\/em>told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Covey noted that Democrats felt &ldquo;more bullish&rdquo; about their chances to win the House even with Biden on the ballot, but that optimism has only grown with the new ticket.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think Democrats still felt like they had a decent shot at taking back the House, because it looked like their candidates might be able to overperform Biden,&rdquo; Covey added. &ldquo;But, you know, I think, obviously, they&rsquo;re in a much better position with Harris now.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have also benefited from a large increase in fundraising since Harris announced her presidential candidacy. After the DNC, her campaign <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3133774\/harris-campaign-announces-massive-540-million-haul-since-launch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>announced a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-republicans-raise-140-million-in-2021-obliterating-fundraising-records\/\" title=\"House Republicans Raise 0 Million in 2021 Obliterating Fundraising Records\">record-breaking haul<\/a><\/a> of $540 million since Biden bowed out of the race on July 21.<\/p>\n<p>Covey said that will come in handy to fight off Republicans, who started off the 2024 cycle touting their members and candidates with higher fundraising numbers than their opponents despite being an area in which Democrats typically excel.<\/p>\n<p>But even with the newfound enthusiasm among Democratic voters, House Republicans remained adamant that Harris&rsquo;s presence at the top of the ticket would do little to benefit the party in down-ballot races.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Actually I think it helps our chances to hold the House. People are very concerned about Kamala Harris and her record. It&rsquo;s an objective fact if you look at what she has done over her public life,&rdquo; Johnson said on Tuesday. &ldquo;Every single American knows they were doing better under that previous administration and that&rsquo;s why I think President Trump is going to win and that I&rsquo;m absolutely convinced we&rsquo;re going to win and grow the House majority.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>That sentiment was echoed by lawmakers running in some of the most competitive House districts, who told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>Harris has &ldquo;brought very little enthusiasm&rdquo; to their home cities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it changes anything,&rdquo; said one House Republican running in a toss-up race in New York. &ldquo;I think in these races in New York, we are regimented candidates with good records and the issues on our side. Our opposition are weak and lack enthusiasm. Other parts of the country, there is probably more of a drastic effect, and that is one that should be identified by the [National Republican Congressional Committee] in order to counter.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The NRCC has also made recruitment a top priority in the 2024 cycle, especially after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3022103\/mcconnell-identifies-biggest-concern-republicans-winning-senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>&ldquo;candidate quality&rdquo; issue<\/a> emerged in the 2022 midterm elections that cost the party key seats. Now, Republicans have been focused on creating &ldquo;an all-star roster of challengers&rdquo; that will help secure the majority in November.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;House Republicans prepared for a trench warfare fight for the majority since day 1 of the cycle [by] building a cash advantage for our incumbents, and honing a quality-of-life message that works no matter the district makeup or political environment,&rdquo; NRCC spokesman Will Rienert said in a statement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Even as Democrats acknowledged the so-called honeymoon period would not last long after the DNC, Covey argued it was evidence of underlying momentum that is likely here to stay.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think the momentum they&rsquo;ve had, even if the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-debrief-with-chris-irvine-how-long-will-harris-enjoy-the-honeymoon-period-with-the-media-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"The Debrief with Chris Irvine: How long will Harris enjoy the \u2018honeymoon period\u2019 with the media? - Washington Examiner\">honeymoon period&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s not going to last, that the momentum is real, and that&rsquo;s going to have a big impact,&rdquo; Covey said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In that case, Bonjean said House Republicans should respond by operating &ldquo;as if they were 90 yards behind and about to lose the majority.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Harris nomination should be a wake-up call for House Republicans and Democrats are energized, and [Republicans] need to be running as if they are way behind,&rdquo; Bonjean said. &ldquo;Whether or not they are, they need to sprint through the tape and win every single seat they can.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\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_1738477\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1738477\"}});<\/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>The competition for control of the House is becoming more intense, with Democrats benefiting from a temporary boost in support following Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217;s recent rise in national polls. House Republicans are dismissing this increase as a fleeting effect due to the recent changes at the top of the Democratic ticket and residual excitement from last week&#8217;s Democratic National Convention. In the lead-up to President Joe Biden&#8217;s reelection campaign, Republicans had a strong advantage, with a 61% chance of retaining control of the House according to polling data from The Hill and Decision Desk HQ. However, that figure has now decreased to 56% with Harris leading the ticket.<\/p>\n<p>Harris has also narrowed former President Donald Trump&#8217;s lead in national polling, giving her a 56% chance of winning the presidency compared to Biden&#8217;s previous 44%. Despite this shift, House Republicans remain confident about maintaining their majority in Congress even as their earlier polling advantages begin to fade. &#8220;Democrats are experiencing a temporary high,&#8221; said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) during an event in Minneapolis on Monday. He acknowledged that while some bounce from the convention is expected, he believes Harris will soon face significant challenges.<\/p>\n<p>GOP strategists note that Democratic lawmakers returning from the DNC must now adapt their campaigns post-Biden. A former Republican National Committee spokesperson remarked that much of today&#8217;s political landscape revolves around Democrats returning home after their brief surge following Biden\u2019s departure.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson countered claims suggesting current polling indicates trouble for his party\u2019s chances in maintaining or expanding its slim majority. While he recognized Democrats&#8217; recent fundraising success and improved poll numbers as temporary phenomena, he argued that true campaigning momentum will build after Labor Day.<\/p>\n<p>Ron Bonjean, another GOP strategist, indicated that Labor Day would act as a &#8220;reset&#8221; point for both parties ahead of an important debate between Harris and Trump on September 10th which could influence voter sentiment significantly.<\/p>\n<p>Despite initial concerns about voter support for Biden after his lackluster debate performance earlier this year, there is renewed confidence among Democrats regarding Harris&#8217;s prospects at leading them into upcoming elections. Erin Covey from Cook Political Report noted district-level polls show Harris performing similarly to Biden\u2019s numbers during his successful 2020 campaign\u2014an improvement over when Biden was still at the forefront.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have also seen substantial fundraising growth since Harris announced her candidacy; her campaign reported raising $540 million since July 21 when Biden exited race considerations\u2014a significant advantage against Republican candidates who initially boasted higher fundraising figures despite typically being outperformed by Democrats in this area.<\/p>\n<p>However, even amidst newfound enthusiasm among Democratic voters due largely to Harris\u2019s nomination at DNC events recently held across various states\u2014including those where she may not resonate strongly\u2014House Republicans assert it won\u2019t translate into gains down-ballot races for them either way moving forward into November elections ahead given existing public sentiments towards Kamala herself based on past records held throughout public life thus far according Johnson himself stating: \u201cEvery single American knows they were doing better under [Trump].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some lawmakers running competitive races echoed similar sentiments claiming little change brought forth by Hairs\u2019 presence atop tickets within respective districts they represent currently facing off against opposition candidates lacking enthusiasm overall compared against regimented ones like themselves who possess solid track records instead focusing efforts toward recruitment strategies aimed directly targeting key seats lost previously during midterms back then too ensuring quality challengers emerge ready come November cycle ahead!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2955,"featured_media":2331970,"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\/08\/harris-sugar-high-scaled-1024x684.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6731,4021,39455,5894],"class_list":["post-2331969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-battle","tag-harris","tag-house-control","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/harris-sugar-high-scaled-1024x684.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2331969","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\/2955"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2331969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2331969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2331970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2331969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2331969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2331969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}