House Republicans struggling to turn fortunes around

Against many of their top targets, Republicans have struggled to recruit capable candidates. A popular county executive passed on a run against Democratic Rep. Anthony Delgado of New York, leaving a little-known fashion designer as the party’s top candidate. One of the top challengers to Utah Democrat Ben McAdams dropped out of the race last year, and another celebrated candidate resisted the national committee’s recruitment efforts. Even Rep. Elissa Slotkin’s high-profile support for Trump’s impeachment has done little to rally Republicans behind a top opponent to challenge her in Michigan. These are all districts Trump carried in 2016…

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In addition, some former members of Congress who lost in 2018 are trying to pursue comebacks, seemingly from a position of weakness. Former Rep. Claudia Tenney now looks like a lock to secure a rematch against Rep. Anthony Brindisi. In a New York district that Trump carried by 14 points, she lost by 2 points in the last election. Former Rep. Scott Taylor of Virginia, who faced ethical problems during his one term in Congress, abandoned his quixotic Senate bid to seek a rematch against Rep. Elaine Luria. Former GOP Rep. Karen Handel is expected to win the nomination to face Rep. Lucy McBath in Georgia, despite Republican anxieties about her political track record.

Again, these are all Trump districts, where fresh faces would serve the Republican Party better.

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