Some of the most vulnerable Democratic senators in this election are using the closing stretch to boast about their ties to former President Trump.
Why it matters: Even candidates in presidential battlegrounds are now featuring Trump cameos in campaign ads — as Democrats up and down the ballot run to the middle.
- The trend comes as split-ticket voting declines, making it more likely that a Senate candidate’s fate will be tied to their state’s presidential results.
- It’s a sign of just how close Rust Belt races could be this year.
Driving the news: Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) both released ads on Friday that include images of Trump — and not to bash him, according to an Axios analysis of ads.
Zoom out: They aren’t the first Democrats to draw connections with Trump.
Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) are viewed as the most vulnerable senators this year, running in states that will almost certainly vote for Trump.
- Both have made concerted efforts to distance themselves from the Biden/Harris administration on key issues and present themselves as moderate voices in their party.
What they’re saying: “These Senate Democrats all voted to impeach President Trump twice, so it is surprising that they are now running ads praising his work as President…”
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/18/senate-democrats-campaign-ads-trump-2024