Democrats fear impeachment is blurring their "kitchen table" focus

But for many Democrats — especially those in competitive districts like Ms. Spanberger and Mr. Brindisi — impeachment is the proverbial elephant in the room. It looms large, but they don’t want to talk about it.

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“One of the things I’ve really been pushing with leadership is: We don’t have to be like kids to a soccer ball, all running and talking about impeachment all the time,” said another freshman Democrat, Representative Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. Her advice to colleagues: “If you’re not on a committee of jurisdiction, go and work on legislation.”

Ms. Spanberger made a similar pitch. “We are focused on all of these top priority issues,” like education and health care, she said. “My appeal to my colleagues is just: Let’s make sure that is known. Just because other people don’t want to talk about it as much doesn’t mean we shouldn’t.”

Representative Josh Gottheimer, a centrist from New Jersey who like Ms. Slotkin resisted an impeachment inquiry until the Ukraine news broke, said he used his time over the recess to talk about prescription drugs and health care. At a town hall in the rural part of his district, he said, people were more interested in Lyme disease than impeachment.

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