House Democrat Campaign Chief Distances Vulnerable Democrats from Kamala Harris as House Republicans Go on Offense

Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee chair (DCCC) Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) worked last week to distance vulnerable Democrats from Vice President Kamala Harris while House Republicans on Monday announced their latest efforts to go on offense and expand their majority.

DelBene refused to use Harris’s name when CNN’s chief congressional correspondent, Manu Raju, asked her if it is “a good idea for those vulnerable Democrats to align themselves with Kamala Harris” on Thursday, according to a clip shared to X by Inside Politics on Sunday. She also deflected by arguing that the races would be driven by local issues:

NEW: Will VP Harris hurt or help House Democrats in competitive races? @mkraju spoke with DCCC Chair @RepDelBene and NRCC Chair @RepRichHudson for their thoughts ahead of November. #InsidePolitics pic.twitter.com/YvvPE3utEY

— Inside Politics (@InsidePolitics) July 28, 2024

“Our races have all been local races. They’re about our candidates and the strength of our candidates,” she said.

“You don’t think this will be nationalized?” Raju followed up.

“I think every – on these congressional races, district by district, this is going to be about the candidates we have and how they’re standing up for their communities,” DelBene responded.

Raju also caught up with National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) chair Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) Thursday.

Hudson said that Republicans would “tie” House Democrats “to the policies they voted for” when Raju asked if the GOP would work to tie their opponents to Harris.

Meanwhile, the NRCC and House Republicans are going on the offensive. On Monday, the NRCC announced it was adding 26 candidates to its “Young Guns” program as the Republicans look to build on its majority.

The program supports Republicans across the country and helps provide them with the necessary resources to win elections. This initial round of additions includes:

• Nancy Dahlstrom (AK-AL)
• Caroleene Dobson (AL-02)
• Kevin Lincoln (CA-09)
• Scott Baugh (CA-47)
• Matt Gunderson (CA-49)
• Jeff Hurd (CO-03)
• Gabe Evans (CO-08)
• George Logan (CT-05)
• Joe McGraw (IL-17)
• Randy Niemeyer (IN-01)
• Prasanth Reddy (KS-03)
• Austin Theriault (ME-02)
• Tom Barrett (MI-07)
• Joe Teirab (MN-02)
• Laurie Buckhout (NC-01)
• Yvette Herrell (NM-02)
• John Lee (NV-04)
• Alison Esposito (NY-18)
• Derek Merrin (OH-09)
• Kevin Coughlin (OH-13)
• Monique DeSpain (OR-04)
• Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07)
• Rob Bresnahan (PA-08)
• Rob Mercuri (PA-17)
• Mayra Flores (TX-34)
• Derrick Anderson (VA-07)

“Extreme House Democrats’ border, crime and cost of living crises wrecked Americans’ safety and security,” Hudson said in a release. “Fortunately, these Republican candidates are already well on their way to running winning campaigns that will grow our House majority in November.”

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