Donald Trump’s presumptive presidential nominee status has put not only national Republican Party leadership into crisis mode, but also state-level candidates sharing the ticket with the potentially toxic GOP candidate. As DLCC looks to flip majority control of legislative chambers nationwide this fall, Democratic state legislative candidates will hold their GOP opponents accountable for Trump’s divisive rhetoric and policies.
“Democrats say Donald Trump’s presence atop the Republican ticket will help stem a tide of electoral defeats that put Republicans in charge of statehouses across the U.S. and in control of taxes, social issues and district lines that preserve their majorities.
Trump will affect not only U.S. Senate and House races, but help Democrats reach majorities in as many as 10 legislative chambers and also sway gubernatorial contests in states including North Carolina and New Hampshire, many in the party say. Democratic candidates and state parties are pressing Republicans about Trump and plan to tie them to his agenda during their campaigns.
‘This opens up a lot of opportunities for Democrats throughout the country,’ said Kurt Fritts, a Washington consultant and former national political director for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. ‘Donald Trump’s bad comb-over is now the defining image for the Republican Party, and there’s no way that Republicans running at the state legislative level can get away from that.’”
