Vulnerable Senate Democrats Up for Re-Election Avoiding Convention at Chicago
Despite being delegates, the lawmakers are spending time in their home states rather than at the four-day party at Chicago.
![AP/Stephanie Scarbrough](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.nysun.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F08%2Fconvention-1.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Three Senate Democrats up for re-election this year will not attend the Democratic National Convention at Chicago, despite being delegates to the event. The lawmakers are all locked in hotly contested races, with two of them beating their well-funded Republican opponents in recent polling.
Senators Rosen of Nevada, Brown of Ohio, and Tester of Montana — all of whom faced difficult races in 2018, despite it being a so-called blue wave year — have all said they will campaign at home rather than join the festivities in Illinois.
Axios first reported that the three lawmakers would be skipping the convention.
Ms. Rosen and Messrs. Brown and Tester are seen as among of the most beatable members of the upper chamber for Republicans this year. While the Senate GOP’s campaign arm has touted all three of its candidates, the challengers have so far failed to catch their opponents in the polls.
None of the three Republican candidates has held elected office before, and all three were endorsed by President Trump ahead of their respective primaries.
Ms. Rosen, facing off against an Army veteran, Captain Sam Brown, has consistently led her challenger by the widest margin of the three Democrats avoiding Chicago.
According to the RealClearPolitics polling average of the Nevada Senate race, Ms. Rosen leads Captain Brown by nearly 8 points. Vice President Harris has polled particularly poorly in the state, though, with the same poll average showing her down to Trump by more than a point.
Jon Ralston of the Nevada Independent cautioned that polling in his home state is particularly difficult, especially before Labor Day, though he says it is a possibility that Ms. Harris could lose the state in November and Ms. Rosen could still emerge victorious.
“I should note that again [Ms. Rosen] is running well ahead of the Dem presidential nominee in NV polls. In this one, while Trump is up 2 here, Rosen is up 9,” Mr. Ralston says on X. “Rosen is winning populous/Dem-heavy Clark by 13; Harris only up 3 there. (If that were to happen, Trump will win NV.)”
Ms. Rosen did attend a rally with Ms. Harris and Governor Walz during their recent battleground state tour, and spoke on behalf of the ticket. Her campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Messrs. Tester and Brown are in much different battles for their political lives. Both have served in the Senate since 2007, after winning three elections each during years that were more favorable to Democrats — 2006, 2012, and 2018.
Now, they are the only two Senate Democrats who represent states won by Trump twice, and are likely to go to the former president for a third time. Neither senator has endorsed Ms. Harris, with whom they served for four years.
Mr. Tester is facing off against a former Navy SEAL and businessman, Tim Sheehy, while Mr. Brown is being challenged by a wealthy car dealership magnate, Bernie Moreno. Mr. Tester trails Mr. Sheehy by 4.4 points in the RealClear polling average, while Mr. Brown leads Mr. Moreno by 5 points.
Senator Fetterman will also skip the Chicago event, though he is not up for re-election this year. He told the Free Press on Sunday that he would rather spend time with his three children, who are all on summer vacation, than attend the convention.