Battle for House Intensifies After Impeachment

WASHINGTON — House lawmakers are readying to campaign in the post-impeachment landscape, with Democrats eager to focus on policy issues and Republicans planning to attack swing-district Democrats for voting to remove a president whom many of their constituents support.

Democrats plan to defend the majority, and specifically their 30 seats in districts that Mr. Trump won in 2016, by discussing the issue that gave them the gavel in 2018: lowering health-care costs. Lawmakers expect to stay far away from talking about the two articles of impeachment the House passed against the president in December.

Republicans, meanwhile, will largely embrace running on the ballot alongside Mr. Trump. Their message will be national: attacking Democrats for impeachment and tying themselves to successes in the economy and the president.

“The Democrats who voted for impeachment from districts that Trump won with a majority are in serious trouble,” said David Wasserman, the House race analyst from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Twelve House Democrats won in districts where the president won more than 50% of the vote, while 18 Democrats took districts that Mr. Trump won with a plurality.

Republicans credit the impeachment investigation for boosting fundraising. In the first six weeks of this year, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has raised over $1.5 million online, according to an aide. By comparison, he raised $1.3 million in the final quarter of 2019.

“They are going to lose the House because they haven’t accomplished anything. ... They made a promise to the American people that they were going to be different,” Mr. McCarthy (R., Calif.) said of Democrats on Thursday. He plans to meet with donors in Key Biscayne, Fla., this weekend, along with 50 House GOP members.

Mr. Wasserman said it is more likely that Republicans pick up a few seats, but not enough to win the majority.



https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/elections-2020/battle-for-house-intensifies-after-impeachment/ar-BB100cKV