Democrats are banking on claims of carpetbagging against Republican Senate candidates, hoping to save vulnerable incumbents in swing states, including Jon Tester in Montana. However, Republicans argue that these attacks are ineffective, as voters prioritize pressing issues like inflation and border security.
Democrats are doubling down on accusations of carpetbagging against Republican Senate candidates in swing states, hoping this strategy will help them retain their Senate majority. Carpetbagging, historically associated with politicians from the North who traveled to the South after the Civil War, now refers to politicians moving to a new area solely to run for office.
Five Democratic incumbent senators are locked in competitive reelection battles in Ohio, Montana, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. These states present a uniquely challenging Senate election map for Democrats. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has labeled Republican candidates in these races as "carpetbaggers" who lack understanding of the states they aim to represent.
"After Democrats used this attack, successfully in my view, against Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania last cycle, I think it’s just become kind of an ‘in vogue’ kind of attack, although it’s also by no mean a new strategy," said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
The strategy has been echoed by national and state level Democratic Party entities, particularly in reference to Montana Republican candidate Tim Sheehy and Pennsylvania Republican candidate Dave McCormick. The Republican National Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has dismissed these attacks as attempts to distract from Democrats' own shortcomings.
"Democrats can’t run on their steadfast support for Joe Biden’s agenda of reckless spending, open borders, and chaos around the globe, so they are lying about our candidates and refusing to discuss the pressing issues facing the American people," said NRSC spokesperson Mike Berg.
The Montana race is expected to be one of the closest Senate races this cycle. Tester's campaign has fully embraced the "carpetbagger" label against Sheehy, who moved to Montana in 2014. "I think it's a very potent argument in Montana," said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon.
McCormick, who is also facing carpetbagging accusations, was born and raised in Pennsylvania and started his business in the state. However, the claim emerged when it was reported that he also owns a home in Connecticut. "I also think it's effective in Pennsylvania, because the Casey name is as synonymous with Pennsylvania as cheesesteaks are to Philadelphia," said Bannon, referring to Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey's long family history in state politics.
McCormick's campaign has dismissed the accusations, emphasizing his deep roots in Pennsylvania. Republican strategist Erin Perrine believes Democrats are resorting to these attacks as they struggle to connect with voters on policy positions.
"Democrats know they are struggling to connect with voters on policy positions, as polling shows they are underwater on top voter concerns like immigration and the economy," Perrine said.
Bannon suggests that Democrats are targeting independent voters with this strategy. "The independents who are two up for grabs, they're more likely to focus on personal traits in the last stage of the election than the voters who've made up their mind already," he said.
However, Perrine argues that focusing on a candidate's birthplace is not a winning strategy in a general election, when voters prioritize issues that affect their daily lives.
