House Democrats from all over the country are abandoning their swing seats to run for statewide office, creating a nightmare scenario for embattled Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-NY) bid to claim the House from Republicans.
Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) announced Thursday he would opt for a Senate run over reelection, the latest hit for Jeffries.
Freshman Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) is considering a run in the Granite State as well. Her announcement would mean Democrats must replace both of their incumbent House members in the two-congressional district state, drawing limited resources from other competitive races across the country.
Leftwing Beltway outlet Axios reported in March, “The worst outcome for Jeffries would be multiple House departures for a single Senate seat.”
That warning seems prescient, and conventional wisdom that the party owning the White House loses House seats in the midterms is being tossed overboard.
“House Democrats are scurrying away from competitive districts like rats fleeing a sinking ship,” NRCC Spokesperson Ben Petersen told Breitbart News. “Democrats’ abandonment of these seats leaves Hakeem Jeffries with a skeleton crew and hands Republicans an open path to flip crucial swing districts without facing entrenched incumbents.”
But New Hampshire isn’t the only state where Democrats could suffer a blue bloodletting.
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), only in his second term, is considering abandoning his swing seat for a quixotic statewide bid in ruby-red Ohio. And Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-OH), fresh off a two-point reelection in a swing district, is also reported to have met with a national abortion group recruiting her to gamble on the long-shot Ohio Senate seat as well. (She considered running for the Senate in 2022).
Other House Democrats are blowing on the dice in anticipation of a roll at higher office as well.
Fourth-term Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) says she is considering a Senate run of her own, recently outlining a path forward for her party for TIME – a clear sign she’s boosting her profile ahead of a statewide run.
Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), another freshman with only a few months under Jeffries’ leadership, is considering a Senate run in the Wolverine State. She recently was gifted a national establishment media puff piece of her own from the flailing Washington Post.
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), who has won four closely contested races in his rural Maine district, has cherry-picked pieces of the Trump agenda to broaden his appeal ahead of a rumored statewide run, possibly for governor. He’s touted his desire to work with members of either party and was the only House Democrat to break from Jeffries and vote for a government funding plan to prevent a shutdown.
Jeffries, entering his third year leading House Democrats, has taken friendly fire for his strategy of taking on Republicans and seemingly hands-off approach to leadership.
Charlamagne tha God mocked Jeffries this month while anchoring Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, calling him “business-casual Morpheus” – a reference to the “Matrix” film character – and “Payless Obama.”
“It’s not my job to say that any particular candidates need to be primaried and thrown out of office,” he said. “But Hakeem Jeffries and [Senate Democrat Leader] Chuck Schumer (D-NY) need to be primaried and thrown out of office.”
Stephen A. Smith, the prominent sports talking head, attacked Jeffries when the Democrat leader appeared on his podcast a week earlier over his tired strategy of attacking Republicans over January 6 – an attack line Democrats focused on for their 2024 election losses.
“When are you going to let that go?” he asked. “The American people clearly have spoken.”
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sat down with Jeffries in March to counsel him on a path forward as leader, CNN reports.
“This is his moment, so step up,” a senior House Democrat close to Jeffries and granted anonymity to speak candidly told CNN.
If Jeffries doesn’t do so, he will remain minority leader for yet another Congress – if he’s lucky enough to continue leading Democrats at all.
Bradley Jaye is Deputy Political Editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter and Instagram @BradleyAJaye.
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