Republicans flee from McConnell in 2018 primaries

Source: Politico

While GOP candidates distance themselves from the Senate leader, Democrats hope to turn him into the next Nancy Pelosi.

By KEVIN ROBILLARD 11/25/2017 07:09 AM EST

Nobody wants to be on Team McConnell.

Heading into the 2018 elections, only one Republican Senate candidate nationwide has pledged unequivocally to back Mitch McConnell as majority leader. Most Republicans facing competitive primaries are hemming and hawing, admiring McConnell’s political savvy and fundraising apparatus — but also looking warily at his sinking approval ratings both with Republicans and the broader electorate.

Even in some of the red and purple states represented by Democratic senators where McConnell is hoping to pad his majority — places like Missouri, Michigan and Wisconsin — the leading candidates are dodging questions about McConnell's leadership or threatening to oppose him if the GOP Congress doesn't deliver on the party's legislative priorities in the coming months.

A few Senate candidates are outright spurning him, aligning themselves with former White House strategist Steve Bannon. Both Democrats and Republicans think President Donald Trump has simultaneously elevated McConnell in importance and blamed him for the slow pace of Republican legislating, including the failure to repeal Obamacare. The result is a GOP Senate leader few candidates want to publicly align with, even if they're likely to support him if they arrive in Washington.

Corey Stewart, the Trump-aligned local elected official in Virginia who narrowly lost this year's GOP primary for governor and is now challenging Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, said he encountered little backing for McConnell while traveling the state.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/25/republicans-flee-from-mcconnell-in-2018-primaries-259615