Several House Democrats running in competitive districts have expressed concerns to the Biden campaign and the White House following President Joe Biden’s lackluster debate performance. They fear that Biden remaining at the top of the ticket could harm the party’s chances of retaining the presidency and taking back the House of Representatives from GOP control. These concerns were expressed by multiple sources familiar with the conversations.
Democratic Rep. Jared Golden from Maine, who represents a largely rural district that twice supported former President Donald Trump, stated in an op-ed this week that he believes Trump will win in November and that he’s okay with that outcome. Washington state Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez also expressed doubts about Biden’s chances, stating that she believes he will lose to Trump based on what was seen during the debate.
House Democrats in challenging general election matchups, known as frontliners, have not held back in expressing their worries to the Biden campaign. One Democratic lawmaker familiar with the conversations revealed that frontliners have told the campaign that they will lose if they have to run with Joe Biden.
Retiring Rep. Ann Kuster from New Hampshire has been in communication with both the White House and the Biden campaign regarding concerns about the President’s well-being impacting house races, especially in challenging districts. Despite these concerns, Kuster expressed confidence that Biden will address the issues and that Democrats will rally behind the ticket.
