GOP’s Rust Belt road to growing the majority
The road to growing the Republican House majority runs through the Rust Belt.
While Democrats are freaking out about Kamala Harris underperforming in “blue wall” states, House Republicans have 9 flip opportunities just in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio alone — not to mention the golden opportunities across the Midwest to continue to grow our majority.
“The Rust Belt is a GOP well of flippable seats, and ground zero for House Republicans to grow our majority. Republicans are winning because we’re speaking to voters about the key issues they face, and are welcoming voters with open arms after they’ve been ignored for far too long by extreme Democrats.”— NRCC Spokesman Mike Marinella
Read more from Axios here or see excerpts below.
House GOP sees path through Rust Belt for keeping majority
Axios
Juliegrace Brufke
October 13, 2024
House Republicans see a path to keeping their majority on Nov. 5 by picking up seats in the Rust Belt that they contend could help offset potential losses on the coast.
Why it matters: Political strategists have pointed to clusters of seats in New York and California as the key to which party will have a majority next year, but the National Republican Congressional Committee sees a window in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania to keep control or grow their numbers.
Driving the news: The House GOP’s campaign arm has been paying for ads in the Michigan districts held by Democratic Reps. Hillary Scholten, Elissa Slotkin, who is running for Senate, and Dan Kildee, who is retiring.
- The NRCC is also investing in the Pennsylvania districts held by Democrats Susan Wild, Matt Cartwright and Chris Deluzio, as well as Ohio Rep. Emilia Sykes’s (D) district.
Zoom in: Congressional Leadership Fund, a group with ties to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), similarly has ramped up spending by about $9 million in the past five weeks, according to a person familiar with the matter.
- CLF added $2.3 million in Lansing, Mich., bringing the total to almost $7 million for the open seat currently held by Slotkin, and $1.8M in Flint, Mich., bringing the total there $4 million in spending for the seat being vacated by Kildee — districts Democrats have said are two of their tightest races.
- Johnson’s PAC also added $3.8M to its initial $5.4 million Philadelphia reserve for Wild’s seat and is spending an additional $1.1 million in Toledo, Ohio, bringing their total to over $4 million in an attempt to unseat Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur.
What they’re saying: “Holding the line on the coasts is how Republicans keep the House majority; Winning races in the Rust Belt is how Republicans expand the majority,” one GOP operative said.
- The operative said former President Trump’s appeal in the region could be boon for Republican House candidates there.
- CLF Spokeswoman Courtney Parella said in a statement that the group was focused on highlighting Democrats’ failures “on key issues such as illegal immigration, fentanyl trafficking, and the rising cost of living,” adding that they were “confident that voters will turn away from Democrats’ extremism.”
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