More than eight months before Election Day, vulnerable Republican Sen. Martha McSally is up with an advertisement on Arizona television tarring Democratic challenger Mark Kelly as a “Bernie Bro.” It’s a message that Republican strategists are busy replicating in tough contests across the country. Party insiders see Sanders as the perfect antidote to lingering queasiness about President Trump, especially in battlegrounds like Arizona where suburban swing voters are poised to decide the outcome.

“Over the course of the last three years, what the debate has been around has been President Trump — it hasn’t been around Democratic policies or Democratic personalities,” said Terry Nelson, a veteran Republican operative advising McSally. “But now we’re in an election where that’s changing, and Democratic personalities and Democratic policies will become more relevant.”…

Despite the roaring economy and low jobless rate, Republicans are concerned that the 2020 campaign could become a referendum on Trump’s sometimes provocative behavior and occasionally controversial tweets. Under that scenario, Republicans worry the party would continue to lose ground in the suburbs and hemorrhage support among independents, costing them the White House, Senate seats, and a chance to improve their position in the House.