(Headline USA) Vulnerable Democrats are distancing themselves from President Joe Biden ahead of the November midterms, worrying that his record-low approval ratings will tank their chances of reelection ahead of a projected red wave.
Even Democrat stars like Stacey Abrams and Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., have been deflecting questions about Biden’s policies recently, according to the Washington Examiner. Instead, they’ve tried to focus on releasing their own policy proposals on energy, crime and abortion access.
“Abrams and Warnock know they’re extremely vulnerable given Biden’s low approval ratings,” Karen Owen, a University of West Georgia political scientist, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “And they know they need to shift to bread-and-butter kitchen table issues like energy prices.”
Democrats in Trump country face an even more difficult situation, and many have chosen to stay silent about Biden entirely. When asked by Fox News whether they would welcome an endorsement from the president, at least six vulnerable Democrats refused to reply.
Candidates in swing states like Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and New Hampshire are in the same situation. Many of them have even decided to run against “the Washington establishment,” despite the fact that their party controls Congress and the White House.
“I’m running for reelection because you deserve a senator who will cut through the gridlock and dysfunction in Washington and deliver real results for your family,” Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, an incumbent up for reelection this year, said in a statement.
“I’ll work with anyone — Democrats, Republicans, and independents — to help Nevada’s families succeed.”
Biden’s public approval rating fell for a fourth straight week to 36%, matching its lowest level seen in May, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released Thursday. His overall approval rating has stayed below 50% since August.
