Republicans Set to Flip Deep-Blue Seat Held by Democrats for Over 30 Years
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
PoliticsMidtermsRhode IslandHouse of RepresentativesDemocrats
Republicans appear poised to take a congressional district that the party has not held in more than 30 years, as a poll shows the GOP candidate leading six potential Democratic competitors.
A Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll shows Republican Alan Fung ahead of the six Democrats who are seeking their party's nomination in Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district.
The 2nd district has been represented by a Democrat in the House of Representatives since 1991, and if the poll is accurate it could indicate trouble for Democrats far beyond Rhode Island.
If Republicans can flip a seat that has been blue for three decades, President Joe Biden's party could be facing major losses in the midterms as he continues to struggle with a low approval rating.
Fung, a former mayor of Cranston and two-time gubernatorial nominee, led five of the six Democratic candidates by around 10 percent but his lead was narrower with Seth Magaziner, who is considered the Democratic frontrunner.
Fung led Magaziner by 45 percent to 39 percent in the Suffolk University poll - a margin of just six percent. A further 17 percent of voters were undecided between Magaziner and Fung in what could be a crucial finding.
Magaziner is currently Rhode Island General Treasurer and was a candidate for the 2022 gubernatorial nomination before withdrawing from that race.
The poll was conducted from June 19 to 22 among 432 likely midterm voters in Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district and had a margin of error of +/- 4.8 percent.
Democrats have held the seat since 1991 and the incumbent, Representative Jim Langevin, has represented the district since 2001. He is retiring at the end of this term and not seeking re-election.
The last Republican to win election in the 2nd district was former Representative Claudine Schneider, who served in Congress from 1981 to 1991 but declined to seek re-election in 1990 and mounted an ultimately unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid.
The Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll found that among 172 likely Democratic primary voters in the 2nd district, Magaziner enjoyed 30.2 percent support, far surpassing the other candidates who failed to score 10 percent each. However, 43 percent of respondents were undecided.
Fung enjoyed a substantial lead among the 102 likely Republican primary voters surveyed, with 66.67 percent backing him against rival candidate Robert Lancia, who had 14.7 percent support, while 13.7 percent were undecided.
The primaries are not due to take place until September 13.
"The possibility of a Republican in Rhode Island winning a congressional seat could have national implications in similar districts," said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center in a statement issued with the poll on Monday.
Democrats may have cause for concern after Republican Mayra Flores flipped a congressional seat in Texas' 34th district in a special election. The district was historically Democratic.
Republicans are hoping to retake the House in November, which would effectively allow them to stymie President Biden's agenda.
"President Biden's involvement could actually hinder the eventual Democratic nominee, who must thread the needle of connecting with undecided voters who believe the Rhode Island economy is awful, while supporting President Biden's agenda which is seen as detrimental to that very economy," Paleologos said.
The poll found that 82 percent of respondents said the economic situation in Rhode Island was either fair or poor and just 16 percent rated it good or excellent.
The country continues to suffer rising prices and the annualized rate of inflation was 8.6 percent in May, while gas prices have reached new record highs in recent weeks.
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That goes against the Democrats saying that the TDS Committee was the most important thing.
But then again, if you believe a Democrat you probably believe the Hooters waitress when she says she loves you.
It's very possible. Look at what happened with Texas' 34th congressional district in a special election. It had been in Democrat control since 1870. Will Mayra Flores win re-election in November? Time will tell.
We also have other stunning events from the past months - VA gov, Boudin recall, possible Gascon recall, for example.
Can’t say they weren’t warned but they will say it anyway.