House Democrats in various seats are set to choose a dedicated representative to lead the party on Tuesday — and who they choose could have implications for the party’s election strategy for years to come.
A group of 53 House Democrats who survived the GOP goal “First line” seats or flipped a GOP-held seat in November, they will have a choice between Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia or Rep. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania as the new “Battlefield Leadership Representative” tasked with championing the concerns of the most vulnerable in the caucus. members.
The contest has elements of an ideological proxy battle between centrist and progressive Democrats, both of whom argue that their approach is preferable to the exchange seats.
Spanberger, a former CIA officer from suburban Richmond, is a member of the moderate Blue Dog and New Democrat coalitions. The leadership of the New Democrat Coalition, which contains a disproportionate number of members on the battlefields, argued Spanberger Monday. (Approval of the pro-business bloc leadership team requires 70% of leaders to agree.)
Spanberger drew praise from moderates and criticism from progressives when he blamed the the “police defense” movement. and other lawsuits by left-wing activists over the Democrats’ disappointing 2020 election results.
Eight of Spanberger’s colleagues alluded to these observations in a Thursday’s letter in support of his leadership bid.
“In Congress, Abigail has never been shy about raising concerns, sharing insights from the ground, and suggesting improvements to strategy or messaging to caucus leadership to ensure we are in the best position to help our constituents, promote effective policies and compete globally. districts in the country”. – Reps. Susie Lee (Nev.), Jared Golden (Me), Elissa Slotkin (Mich.), Jennifer Wexton (Va.), Mikie Sherrill (NJ), Annie Kuster (NH), Kim Schrier (Wash.) and Josh Gottheimer (New Jersey).
Instead, Cartwright, a Northeastern Pennsylvania personal injury attorney, is a shameless member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and advocate for Medicare for All.
Unlike Spanberger, who flipped a Republican seat in 2018, Cartwright won his first race in a new seat in 2012. At the time, however, Democrats still enjoyed an advantage in the region and had represented it in Congress before Cartwright’s arrival.
But Cartwright’s supporters note that he survived there long after the seat shifted to the right following the ascension of former President Donald Trump. Cartwright is one of two surviving Democrats returning to Congress in a district Trump won in both 2016 and 2020. (Golden, first elected in 2018 — a Democratic wave year — is the other one).
Meanwhile, thanks to redistricting, Spanberger won his last race in a seat held by President Joe Biden by nearly seven percentage points in 2020.
“He was the only Democrat to win a Trump district in 2016, 2018, 2020 and now 2022,” said a Democratic strategist who supports Cartwright, who requested anonymity to speak freely. “The person he’s running against is from a district that probably won’t even be very competitive in 2024.”
Rep.-elect Chris Deluzio, who won a closely contested race to succeed retiring Congressman Conor Lamb in southwestern Pennsylvania, plans to vote for Cartwright. He cited Cartwright’s status as a Pennsylvanian as well as Cartwright’s populist economic bent.
“Matt did a great job running a district that Donald Trump won twice,” Deluzio told HuffPost. “And he’s done it boldly on the economic issues that resonate here in Pennsylvania: supporting workers and unions, fighting to bring our supply chains home, invoking corporate power.”
In previous congresses, the entire caucus voted on who to choose to serve as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats. Under the new rules, however, incoming House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) will pick the DCCC chairmanship himself.
That could increase the importance of the Battlegrounds leadership representative as a campaign-oriented post with broader support from House Democrats.
And while Spanberger may be inclined to advise party leaders to be cautious in the interest of inoculating members vulnerable to GOP attacks, Cartwright may have a broader view of the factors driving elections, according to the pro-Cartwright strategist.
“Matt Cartwright is someone who has proven that you can be authentic to yourself and still win tough districts, rather than falling into the usual tropes of what it takes to win a competitive district,” the Democratic strategist said.
In addition, Spanberger is said to be considering a run for governor of Virginia in 2025, which some observers say could influence his approach to running the House.
“If he runs somewhere else, he’s losing skin in the game,” said a Democratic strategist in Virginia, who is neutral in the leadership race and asked to remain anonymous to protect professional relationships.
In an interview with HuffPost on Monday, Spanberger argued that her experience flipped a longtime Republican seat and held her until 2022, despite a wave of Republican spending that swept the race. The most expensive The general election race for Parliament qualifies her to represent swing-seat Democrats.
“You have a community that has voted Republican for 50 years. I’m here to talk about the things that matter to me and our fellow Democrats,” Spanberger said. “This is an experience shared sincerely by so many of our colleagues who have tilted their chairs and latched onto them.”
Asked about Cartwright’s experience in a district won by Trump, Spanberger said, “Every candidate is different. Every district is different … and it’s about a lot more than Donald Trump, frankly.”
Spanberger has not said whether or not she is interested in running for governor of Virginia, instead calling the issue irrelevant.
“I don’t think any position that anybody in the halls of Congress could run for, whether it’s about dogs or anything at the state, local or federal level, has any impact on what we do here. and now,” he said.
Not all vulnerable House Democrats have made their allegiances clear in the contest between Cartwright and Spanberger. Representative. Marcy Kaptur, a Democratic re-election candidate in a northwest Ohio district who has sought Republican favor, has not said who she plans to vote for in the race.
“They both have assets because Abigail has many farmers in her district. Matt has a lot of industries in Scranton and the small towns outside of it,” he said.
Kaptur complains that there are no more struggling industrial or rural figures in the House Democratic leadership.
“According to our leadership, put them both there!” he stated.
I’m a passionate and motivated journalist with a focus on world news. My experience spans across various media outlets, including Buna Times where I serve as an author. Over the years, I have become well-versed in researching and reporting on global topics, ranging from international politics to current events.