That line of attack, honed by Republican senators to help shield Justice Kavanaugh from sexual assault allegations, and then picked up by Senate candidates in tight races, is now catching fire across the political landscape in competitive contests for governor, the House of Representatives and other positions that had nothing to do with the confirmation process. If many Republicans weren’t sure, initially, how to handle the accusations against Justice Kavanaugh, some are now determined to harness outrage among their core voters and make him an issue in races up and down the ballot to counter the energy on the left.

In several of the country’s tightest and most closely watched midterm contests, the critical goal now is to find the right words and messages to ensure that anger over Justice Kavanaugh remains a potent motivating factor from now until Election Day. Many Republicans believe that, by portraying him as the victim of political sabotage, they will have one more argument to help unify an otherwise fractured party anxious about keeping control of the House and Senate in November.