Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Bustos already targeted by NRCC, but not Schneider

Posted in:

Illinois

Republicans, already hoping to expand their House majority in 2018, have devised a 36-seat list of top Democratic targets for the next two years — and they are particularly focused on blue-collar parts of the country where President Donald Trump is popular.

The National Republican Congressional Committee’s target list provides an early window into how the GOP is preparing for the midterm elections — a still-far-off political fight, but one that is already taking shape behind the scenes.

One-third of the districts, detailed in a NRCC spreadsheet, are seats that President Donald Trump carried over Hillary Clinton even while a Democratic House member also claimed victory. That segment of the list is heavy on blue-collar districts in the Midwest, which Republicans believe will be especially fertile political territory in the Trump era. It includes two Democrats who were not heavily targeted by the GOP in 2016: Reps. Dave Loebsack, a veteran incumbent from southeastern Iowa, and Ron Kind, who is from west central Wisconsin and ran unopposed in 2016 while Trump carried his seat by more than 4 percentage points.

Democratic US Rep. Cheri Bustos is on the list (click here for the full list) because Donald Trump won her district last November. Congressman Brad Schneider, incidentally, is not on the list, even though he lost two years ago after winning four years ago. Clinton won that district bigly.

Often, when congresscritters’ districts change on them, they look to move up the ladder. Dick Durbin did it with his US Senate bid, for example. So, as John Gregory notes, that may be the reason why she’s taking a harder look at running for governor.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 12:24 pm

Comments

Is Dold out for 2018?

Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 12:41 pm
Still, strange to lead Schneider off the list, unless they presume that 2018 will be a referendum on Trump.

Then, it makes sense.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 12:41 pm
==Still, strange to lead Schneider off the list, unless they presume that 2018 will be a referendum on Trump.

Then, it makes sense.==

These lists get changed all the time, and it’s more likely than not that Schneider will be added later. Still, this is probably the reason he’s not on the list. Trump’s name is mud in the suburbs.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 1:07 pm
Hearing Dold is close to announcing; not sure if in or out. That race will be in play. It’s in the 10th District DNA.

Comment by walker Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:48 pm
I take this as an indication that Dold is in for 2018 (sigh). It’s likely NRCC is holding out for a Dold announcement to really play up the addition of IL10 to the list.

Comment by Sold on 2018 Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 9:41 pm