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Kuster insisted that it wouldn’t have been helpful if Biden stepped down earlier to set up an open primary to replace him.

After barnstorming through Pa., Kuster says she’s optimistic Dems can win

The race for control of Washington next year will likely come down to Pennsylvania, where we reported from last week as top congressional leaders flock to the commonwealth. While things remain neck-and-neck in the state, New Democrat Coalition Chair Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) told us her time in the Keystone State left her feeling optimistic.

“It has the feel of the first Obama campaign,” Kuster said of the Democratic environment in Pennsylvania. “It’s very grassroots. The level of enthusiasm for young people, for women, for people of color, is just off the charts.”

While Kuster is leaving Congress at the end of the year, the New Dem leader is still engaged on the campaign trail to boost Democrats. Last week, Kuster started off by rallying voters with Pennsylvania Democratic Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon and Madeleine Dean in the “collar counties” surrounding Philadelphia.

Kuster also held fundraisers for Janelle Stelson, the Democrat running to knock off Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), and Ashley Ehasz, who’s challenging Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.). And Kuster popped down to Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Del., to chat with young staffers.

“The Harris-Walz campaign is super organized. They’ve got 50 offices across Pennsylvania, and they’ve got 400 staff,” Kuster said.

The battle for the House: Kuster consistently tells reporters her “north star” is making sure House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries becomes speaker in 2025. Citing Democratic fundraising advantages in key races, Kuster told us she feels “very good about taking the House.”

“All of our frontliners are outraising the challengers, and almost all of our challengers are outraising the Republican incumbents — by a lot,” Kuster said.

What’s next: In the coming weeks, Kuster is traveling to Ohio to campaign for Frontline Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes. Kuster is also heading to the Michigan-Michigan State football game to organize young voters at a Harris-Walz campaign tailgate.

Kuster also discussed how she’s hoping to stop in Iowa to help out two Democratic challengers: Christina Bohannan against Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and Lanon Baccam against Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa). Another potential agenda item is a stop for Democrat Tony Vargas in his race versus Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.).

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Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. Political ads courtesy of AdImpact.