Democrats emphasize ‘authenticity’ to take back the House

Despite a challenging Senate map and former President Donald Trump leading in several swing state polls, the upcoming U.S. House elections offer a glimmer of hope for the Democratic Party.

Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) that recruits candidates and supports incumbents facing competitive reelections, is optimistic about her party’s chances to retake the U.S. House this fall. And while she says she is confident that President Joe Biden will win reelection, Ms. DelBene acknowledges that not all Democratic campaigns are the same. 

“Our races are unique races,” said Ms. DelBene at a Monitor Breakfast with reporters on Friday. “There are some places where we might overlap ... but we also have a lot of races in places where you’re not going to see as much focus on the presidential side.”

To claw back the Republicans’ current four-seat majority, Ms. DelBene sees an “incredible opportunity” in the 16 seats now held by Republicans in districts that Mr. Biden won in 2020, as well as seats in the blue states of New York and California. Of the DCCC’s map focusing on 65 races, it has also identified 29 “front-liners” – Democratic incumbents in purple districts – and 20 “red-to-blue” candidates hoping to flip Republican seats. 

Ms. DelBene, who has represented a district north of Seattle since 2012, was handpicked by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to oversee the DCCC after what many saw as a mismanagement of competitive races in 2022. Colleagues characterize her as a thoughtful leader, who listens before making a decision.

“I spent a lot of time running organizations before I became a member of Congress, so I approached the DCCC similarly,” says Ms. DelBene. “As someone who came to Congress representing a swing district ... I know how important it is to make sure that we not only have great candidates but make sure that folks are running the races that are authentic to them so it’s not so much a cookie-cutter mentality.”

Following are more excerpts from the breakfast, lightly edited for clarity: 

How are you advising candidates to navigate the Israel-Gaza issue? It’s obviously divided the party. 

Have an authentic voice, and talk about how you feel on issues. People can tell if someone’s scripted and not really talking about their feelings. And, frankly, call out the cynicism of Republicans. This most recent piece of legislation they put on the floor on Israel had nothing to do with helping to address an issue. It was a political move on their part. Highlight that. Republicans continue to put their politics first.

How do you plan to reach young voters?

You’re going to see a lot of movement towards digital media, social media, etc., because that’s where a lot of people get their information. It’s really important not only that we engage where people are getting their information, but [that] people are engaging with young voters ... to make sure that people understand what’s at stake. The issues that young people care about are very similar. Economic opportunity is number one across all age groups when we talk to folks across the country.

How are you coaching front-liners in red districts to signal to those homeless former Republican voters that the Democratic tent is big enough for them?

We have five Democrats in seats that President Trump won in 2020: Marcy Kaptur [of Ohio], Marie Glusenkamp Perez [of Washington], Mary Peltola in Alaska, Matt Cartwright in Pennsylvania, Jared Golden in Maine – all who have won because they are trusted, authentic candidates who represent their region. People want a representative they can trust, not always one who is going to agree with everything.

Have those front-liners been able to take those viewpoints from their districts and get some traction with more diverse viewpoints within the Democratic caucus? 

I do think that you’re a better legislator when you hear differing points of view and are forced to try to come up with what the right solution is.

It would be great if we were having those healthy bipartisan debates, too. ... It’s been really disappointing to see the end of moderate Republicans. There just aren’t any left in Congress. They got beat in primaries. They’ve resigned and left. We’ve ended up in a place where the Republican Party, and definitely in the House, has been taken over by the most extreme members of their caucus. 

I’d love to see us get back to a place where we have folks who are willing to do that on both sides of the aisle. But frankly, as long as Republicans seem to think that their own role is to follow the word of Donald Trump and not ever be able to express a differing point of view, then we need to show the American people that we reject that. They’re not going to be representing us. And they’re not going to be holding the gavels in the House of Representatives.