By Amidst the near-constant harrying of President Joe Biden by Democrat elites that he should drop out, lies a truth that they can barely hide anymore.
They think they’re doomed either way, but have become terrified that the bottom could really fall out and crush their congressional candidates running for both the Senate and the House.
The Hill writes that “Senate Democrats worry that the turmoil over President Biden will haunt them until the convention in August, making for a painful 40 days and weakening the party going into the fall.
Even as they’ve resigned themselves to the reality that Biden will likely remain atop the ticket, they fear a slow drip of polls, possible gaffes and intraparty turmoil will keep the spotlight on Biden’s age and off former President Trump until Democrats meet in Chicago.
Biden’s attempt to keep his grip on the party took some of its biggest hits to date on Wednesday when former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) indicated that his political future is still an open question despite his repeated vows that he isn’t going anywhere, and Welch broke the wall of Senate Democratic support for Biden by calling on him to drop out.
That came a day after Sen. Michael Bennet (Colo.) became the first Senate Democrat to publicly voice the belief that Biden will lose in November and could prompt a ‘landslide’ that could cost the party full control of Congress in the process.”
One place to keep an eye on over the next few months is New Mexico, where, The Washington Examiner writes, a name familiar to many in the state could lead to a shocking upset in the race for Senate.
Nella Domenici, a former hedge fund executive, received the donations through her Senate campaign and its affiliated joint fundraising committee. The candidate would be the first Republican to win a Senate election in the Land of Enchantment in over two decades, with the last being her father, the late Pete Domenici.
“The momentum is growing, the movement is building, and our state is ready for new leadership,” Nella Domenici said. “New Mexico is at a tipping point, and I’m grateful to all of those who are rallying behind our campaign to demand more for our state and our nation.”
The Republican is aiming to unseat Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), who has been in the Senate since 2013 and, before that, the House. On the campaign trail, Heinrich has attacked Domenici as out-of-touch for her ties to Wall Street, though the Democrat has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations over the last decade from wealthy finance industry executives, the Washington Examiner reported.
Domenici’s almost $3 million haul between April and June is more than double the $1.25 million she received from donors in the first quarter of this year. The turmoil in the wake of President Joe Biden‘s lackluster debate performance this month could create an opening for Republicans to strengthen their positions ahead of the 2024 elections, though New Mexico remains a difficult state for the GOP.
Although most political commentators believe New Mexico is in the “solid blue” category, Republicans have seen glimmers of hope that have made it a top-tier spending target by the national party, along with West Virginia, Ohio, and Montana.
The National Review noted that a “Red Oak Strategies poll commissioned by Domenici and the National Republican Senatorial Committee suggests New Mexico Republicans’ nominee has room to grow five months out from Election Day and that her father’s name could help her.
“Even though 66% of New Mexicans do not know Nella Domenici, 46% agree that Nella’s father, former [senator] Pete Domenici, did a good job for New Mexico and support his daughter running for U.S. Senate,” Domenici’s team wrote in a June 5 strategy memo shared with National Review, based on a May 7–9 survey conducted with 1,800 registered voters. “This is a huge advantage as the campaign begins to deliver Nella’s message across direct voter contact platforms.”
The poll had Heinrich leading Domenici among likely voters by just three points, with a 2.3 percent margin of error, but found Domenici eclipsing his lead after survey respondents ‘hear positive messages about herself and negative messages about Heinrich.’”
This cycle, Domenici’s campaign is bullish that Joe Biden’s lackluster favorability ratings could hurt Heinrich. ‘Biden’s image is 42% favorable, 56% unfavorable. Trump’s image is 39% favorable, 59% unfavorable,’ the memo added. ‘For a state that Biden won by 10.8 points, this collapse in the sitting president’s image should be alarming for Democrats hoping Biden will sweep the state again and carry any down-ballot Democrat across the finish line.’”
The last time a Republican won New Mexico in a presidential election was in 2004.
Current polling indicates that the Democrats’ standing in the congressional race has worsened following Biden’s debate misstep. Recent trends offer little reassurance for down-ballot Democratic candidates. While unexpected events can always occur, a Biden loss would likely result in significant setbacks for many House and Senate Democrats.
The map is heavily tilted toward Republicans in 2024 with 13 winnable Senate seats currently held by Democrats up for grabs.
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