Top Democratic staffers on Capitol Hill are pointing fingers at President Joe Biden for the party’s embarrassing election losses.
Our latest survey, The Canvass Capitol Hill, found that 61% of Democratic senior staffers say Biden cost them the White House and both chambers of Congress in November.
After the elections, Democrats and party talking heads were quick to blame Biden for not dropping out of the race sooner and giving Vice President Kamala Harris just 107 days to run her presidential campaign.
The majority of GOP and Democratic respondents (77%) said the main reason for Democrats losing key races was because the party focused its election strategy on issues that didn’t matter most to voters. Polls leading up to Election Day showed the economy was the number one issue driving voters.
However, throughout the election cycle, Democrats focused on tying former President Donald Trump to the threat to abortion and reproductive rights. That strategy helped Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections following the overturning of Roe V. Wade, but polls showed abortion was no longer at the very top of voters’ minds this time around.
On the other hand, 66% of respondents believe Trump is most responsible for helping Republicans win key races. Most (59%) also attributed Republican victories to the GOP focusing on issues that mattered most to voters.
Throughout Trump’s campaign, the former president successfully united his party behind him and galvanized his support base as he faced mounting legal troubles and two assassination attempts. Despite polls showing Trump and Harris locked in a tight race before Election Day, the majority of voters said they trusted Trump over Harris to fix the economy.
The Canvass Capitol Hill was conducted Nov. 12-29 in partnership with independent public affairs firm, LSG.
Want to take part in The Canvass? Our survey provides anonymous monthly insights from top Capitol Hill staffers and K Street leaders on key issues Washington is dealing with. Sign up here if you work on K Street. Click here to sign up if you’re a senior congressional staffer.
