US: Surging Democrats expand Senate targets to GOP states

It’s come to this for Republicans straining to defend ir Senate majority in vember’s elections: y’re air-dropping millions of dollars into races in Alabama, Kentucky and or red states where Donald Trump coasted during his 2016 presidential election triumph.

This year, challenged by Trump’s fumbled handling of coronavirus pandemic , crippled ecomy and his racially inflammatory stances, Republicans face potentially competitive races y’d rmally have locked down. Compounding ir problems is strong fundraising by Democratic candidates that’s kept m in contention in unlikely locations.

“ president’s weakening poll numbers over last several months have me down-ballot races more competitive,” said GOP pollster Whit Ayres. While saying he believes Republicans will win many of contested seats, Ayres ded, “It’s fair to say map is expanded.”

GOP fretting is being aggravated by some polls showing Trump trailing nationally and in some battleground states against Joe Biden, presumptive Democratic presidential minee.

And while it’s early and well-kwn senators can differentiate mselves from an unpopular president atop ir ticket, Democrats are defending just 12 Senate seats this vember to Republicans’ 23. GOP controls Senate 53-47.

“Donald Trump’s failed handling of coronavirus crisis has changed everything,” said Democratic pollster Geoffrey Garin. He said GOP senators are linked too closely to Trump, leaving him “pleased and surprised by willingness of so many Republicans to go down with ship.”

Democrats have at least a puncher’s chance of grabbing Republican-held seats in four states Trump won by double digits: Alaska, Kansas, Kentucky and South Carolina. y have an even shot at ousting GOP Sen. Steve Daines in Montana, which Trump carried by 20 percent points, and long-shot hopes of retaining ir most endangered senator, Doug Jones of Alabama, where Trump won by 28 points.

Republican incumbents face legitimate challenges for two Senate seats in Georgia and difficult fights in Arizona and rth Carolina, all where Trump won narrowly. In two states Trump won by 9 points, Iowa GOP Sen. Joni Ernst faces a tough Democratic opponent in businesswoman resa Greenfield, while Republican Sen. John Cornyn is on alert against a Texas upset.

Republicans say y’ll keep ir majority, aided by Trump attacks on Biden that will close overall gap by Election Day. y argue that Trump’s name on ballot will give Senate candidates in Republican states a major edge and say y’re spending re because Democrats are raising sums that can’t be igred.

“ left’s antipathy toward president becomes an easy rallying cry” for Democratic fundraising, said Steven Law, who les a pair of outside groups aligned with Senate Majority Leer Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Former rth Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a moderate Democrat who lost her 2018 reelection bid, said she believes Trump’s struggles have put red areas in play, especially transitioning Sourn states like rth Carolina, Georgia and Texas.

“Don’t run away from who you are,” like hedging on wher you’ll vote for Biden, said Heitkamp, a founder of One Country, which vises Democrats on connecting with rural voters. “Run on health care, things that affect your community.”

In early TV spots, National Republican Senatorial Committee accuses Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff in Georgia of backing “policies so extreme only Hollywood would want him.” One by Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee accuses Ernst, GOP senator from Iowa, of protecting corporate interests, ding, “In tough times it’s important to kw who has your back.”

Although dollars don’t always translate into votes, campaign reports filed this week show surging Democratic fundraising in solidly Republican terrain.

Jones’ $18 million haul in Alabama more than quruples amount raised by his Republican opponent, Tommy Tuberville, a former Auburn football coach. That’s prompted One Nation, a group allied with McConnell, to line up $3.2 million on s helping Tuberville, with conservative Club for Growth planning $1.3 million more.

In Montana, Daines is on even financial footing with his Democratic opponent, Gov. Steve Bullock. One Nation and Senate Leership Fund, ar McConnell ally, are spending millions to help Daines, while DSCC, Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, and Majority Forward, allied with Democratic leership, are helping Bullock.

two McConnell-friendly groups are even aiming $15 million at Kentucky to help him fend off an uphill challenge from Democrat Amy McGrath. $47 million she has raised so far, aided by Democratic contributors’ antipathy to McConnell’s work with Trump, is tops in country and surpasses McConnell’s $38 million.

Even in Kansas, which hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since before World War II, a group with ties to state and national Republicans plans to spend $3 million to prevent polarizing Kris Kobach from winning party’s Senate mination. Top Republicans fear a Kobach mination could mean victory for Democrat Barbara Bollier, who’s collected more cash than three GOP contenders combined.

two McConnell-allied groups are preparing to spend $22 million to help GOP Sen. David Perdue against Democrat Ossoff in Georgia, where Republican vants among suburban voters have eroded. An expensive battle is brewing over Ernst’s Iowa seat, with outside Democratic and GOP groups each planning to spend over $20 million.

Or robust Democratic fundraisers include Mark Kelly in Arizona and Jaime Harrison in South Carolina. Kelly has a solid chance of defeating GOP Sen. Martha McSally while Harrison is waging an unlikely drive to oust Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally.

Cornyn has a dominant money vant over MJ Hegar, his Democratic challenger in Texas. While some early polling has shown Biden running well re, Republicans are confident of a Cornyn win, barring a Trump collapse.

Republicans are eyeing Alaska, where GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan’s likely opponent is Al Gross, an independent with Democratic support. sprawling state is difficult to poll and populated by toriously free-spirited voters, and Gross, a doctor, has alrey spent $700,000 of his own money on his campaign.

Scott Kendall, a Republican consultant, predicted Sullivan will win. But, he cautioned, 2020 is “ weirdest year any of us have seen.”