The Democrats who won’t be in Chicago

An evening recap of the action on Capitol Hill and preview of the day ahead
Aug 15, 2024 View in browser
 
POLITICO Inside Congress

By Jordain Carney and Daniella Diaz

With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz wave at a campaign rally.

It’s not unusual for candidates to skip the days-long hobnob of donors, state delegations and politicians. | /Julia Nikhinson/AP

THE HOUSE’S HOMEBODIES

When Democrats gather in Chicago next week for their four-day convention, where Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept her party’s nomination, they’ll be missing some of the lawmakers and candidates who will determine if she has a majority in the House should she win.

We checked in with more than 50 Democratic House members and candidates to survey who will be Chi-town bound. As is customary in the heat of campaign season, several are planning to skip and spend that valuable time back in their districts, or are still TBD on their attendance.

Among the lawmakers keeping close to home are those involved in some of this year’s most closely watched toss-up races, including Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine), Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) and Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.).

Candidates who won’t be in the crowds include Amish Shah, George Whitesides, Will Rollins and Janelle Bynum. Those four Democrats are looking to unseat GOP Reps. David Schweikert (Ariz.), Mike Garcia (Calif.), Ken Calvert (Calif.) and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (Ore.), respectively.

The campaigns for Democrats Missy Cotter Smasal and Rebecca Cooke — who are running against GOP Reps. Jen Kiggans (Va.) and Derrick Van Orden (Wis.) — both also told us their candidates aren’t expected to be in attendance.

Worth noting: It’s not unusual for candidates to skip the days-long hobnob of donors, state delegations and politicians. And incumbents, particularly those in close races, are known to pass.

Some of those skipping haven’t yet endorsed Harris, while others have but are planning to hang back in order to attend events in their districts.

Plenty of Democrats in close races will make the trip to Chicago, their offices or campaigns told us. Those include Reps. Don Davis (N.C.), Angie Craig (Minn.), Gabe Vasquez (N.M.), Greg Landsman (Ohio), Marcy Kaptur (Ohio) and Susan Wild (Pa.).

We’ll keep you updated in the run-up to the convention as we hear back from more.

— Jordain Carney and Daniella Diaz

GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Thursday, Aug. 15, where we are enjoying the nice (for D.C. in August) weather.

ABOUT THOSE HARRIS-AVERSE DEMOCRATS

In yesterday’s edition, we brought you a rundown of the Democrats who haven’t yet endorsed Kamala Harris for president. There have been some changes to that list since it landed in your inbox.

First off, mea culpa maxima: We incorrectly reported the positions of Rudy Salas, who is running against Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), and Tony Vargas, who’s running against Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.). Vargas had backed Harris, and Salas had not. Then, after publication, Salas told us he was in fact endorsing his party’s presidential nominee.

We also learned after publication that Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) praised Harris in a recent tweet for choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. We’ll also note that while Rep. Josh Harder (D-Calif.) has not formally endorsed Harris, he has done campaign events for Harris and spoken highly of her in local interviews.

— Daniella Diaz

 

WELCOME TO THE CNN-POLITICO GRILL AT THE DNC! If you are in Chi-Town next week, join us at the CNN-POLITICO Grill just steps from the United Center for daily events and live programs. Featuring an all-star lineup of the most influential Democrats including Rep. Suzane DelBene (Chair, DCCC), Sen. Gary Peters (Chair, DSCC), Sen. Chuck Schumer, Secretary Pete Buttigieg and many more surprise guests. In fact, word on the street (West Madison Street, to be precise) is that Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi will be in the neighborhood and could drop by! Don’t miss out on the buzziest conversations and newsworthy events hosted by POLITICO’s top reporters and editors. RSVP HERE.

 
 

JOHNSON’S LATEST FUNDRAISING TRIP

Speaker Mike Johnson heads to Washington state this weekend to fundraise for Joe Ken t, a former Army Green Beret challenging Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in one of this year’s most-watched races.

Johnson’s visit is a vote of confidence in Kent that comes on the heels of a Trump endorsement for the candidate, signaling that the GOP establishment is comfortable embracing a hard-liner who has aligned himself with the House Freedom Caucus.

At a campaign event in Longview, Wash. in early August, Kent extolled the caucus’ negotiating tactics over government funding, explaining that “I don't want us to have the ability to spend ourselves into oblivion.” Johnson is now facing pressure from the bloc to hew to their terms ahead of a Sept. 30 government funding deadline.

Kent lost to Gluesenkamp Perez by fewer than 3,000 votes in 2022. He faced criticism in that race for his rhetoric surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. He continues to argue that Jan. 6 defendants are not receiving due process, but he has moderated some of his other positions. After supporting a national abortion ban in 2022, for instance, he backed off that position in January and said he believes abortion to be a state issue.

Johnson is not the first Republican leader to appear with Kent — then-Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy traveled to the district in 2022. But on the issues, he has more in common with Johnson: Both want to revamp government spending, to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports, and have questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election.

— Natalie Fertig

EXCLUSIVE: BOLD PAC RAISES $13 MILLION

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ campaign arm, BOLD PAC, has raised $13.6 million this cycle, Inside Congress has learned.

The group’s haul through July 31 already outstrips its $13.4 million fundraising total for the 2022 midterm cycle and puts it on track to beat the $17.9 million in raised in 2020, the last presidential cycle.

BOLD PAC supports Hispanic candidates and allies in battleground states and districts, including candidates in California, New Mexico, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Nebraska.

“This is not just about numbers; it's about ensuring that our community has a strong voice in the decisions that affect our lives,” Executive Director Victoria McGroary said in a statement.

— Daniella Diaz

HUDDLE HOTDISH

Last Frontier of bipartisanship: Alaska’s Rep. Mary Peltola (D), Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) hosted three members of the House Natural Resources Committee — GOP Reps. Tom Tiffany (Wis.), Russ Fulcher (Idaho) and Pete Stauber (Minn.) on a trip to the North Slope. “I was pleased to be able to Alaskasplain in person to my colleagues and to show them the fruits of our labor here in the Last Frontier,” said Peltola, one of the most targeted Democrats in the country, in a statement.

Inside Tim Walz’s foodie history. 

We need the backstory on the dinosaur.

 

DON’T MISS OUR AI & TECH SUMMIT: Join POLITICO’s AI & Tech Summit for exclusive interviews and conversations with senior tech leaders, lawmakers, officials and stakeholders about where the rising energy around global competition — and the sense of potential around AI and restoring American tech knowhow — is driving tech policy and investment. REGISTER HERE.

 
 

QUICK LINKS 

Louisiana Congressman Troy Carter outranked by two-star general wife; 'Yes, mam!' he says, from Greg Hilburn at the Shreveport Times

Exit interview: Michael Burgess on leaving Congress, how the Texas delegation has changed and the path forward for health care, from Isaac Yu at The Texas Tribune

How to Modernize Congress: "I think we’re still in the stone age of what could be," from Santi Ruiz in Statecraft

TRANSITIONS 

Send them over to insidecongress@politico.com!

TOMORROW IN CONGRESS

The House is in for a pro forma session at 11 a.m.

The Senate is in for a pro forma session at 10 a.m.

FRIDAY AROUND THE HILL

Zzz.

TRIVIA

WEDNESDAY’S ANSWER: Jacqueline Chen was the first to correctly guess that Amy Adams played JD Vance's mom in the movie adaptation of his book.

TODAY’S QUESTION, from Jacqueline: Name the five U.S. presidents who never fathered a biological child.

The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com.

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