Voters decisions on Tuesday on which Democratic candidate they believe is best equipped to take on President Donald Trump come November could impact the reelection chances of U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn (D-Okla.).
Super Tuesday will likely play a large part in deciding which candidate wins the Democratic nomination. But choosing a contentious nominee could make it difficult for Democrats to remain in control of the House.
“It does matter who you put at the top, and here’s why,” said political author and University of Oklahoma professor Keith Gaddie. “If you demobilize a block of voters at the top, they are not going to be there to vote down ticket.”
If voters are demobilized by the Democratic nominee, this could have consequences across the country––especially in Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District.
There are 19 toss-up congressional seats across the nation that are currently held by a Democrat and could turn red in November, according to a report. Horn represents one of these toss-up districts, and she was named by CQ Roll Call as the number one most vulnerable House Democrat in the nation.
But Horn has not vocalized support for––or opposition to––any Democratic presidential candidate in the race.
“I don't think it's helpful to deal in a lot of hypotheticals right now in terms of trying to guess who's going to be the nominee,” said Horn. “I haven't made a decision, and I haven't made an endorsement.”
House Democrats like Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.) and Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.), who both represent districts that voted for Trump in 2016, have said they are opposed to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) obtaining the nomination, fearing his progressive policies do not represent all Americans.
But among the 30,000 attendees at a Los Angeles rally Sunday night for presidential hopeful Sanders, the fear that a Sanders nomination could cost Democrats the presidency and congressional seats seemed distant.
“I think that Trump showed us that the idea of who was electable 10 or 20 years ago isn't the same,” said rally attendee and Los Angeles native Gareth Imparato. “It's not about, oh, you get just enough electoral, it's about having a message that can change this country forever, and I think he's the best for that.”
As Sanders leads California polls among Democratic candidates, Imparato said this is not the only state that the senator has widespread support.
“I think he could absolutely beat Trump, but I think he could expand the map. I think we could win Texas this cycle if we did it right, and at that point it’s over,” said Imparato.
In an Oklahoma poll, Democratic and Independent voters were asked, if Sanders were to obtain the nomination, would they vote for him over Trump in November. Over 71% of Oklahomans polled said they would vote for Sanders, while 14% said they would vote for Trump.
However, about 10% of Democrats and Independents polled said they were unsure, and almost 4% said they would not vote at all.
“I think that this is the first time in my lifetime that you actually have a left party in this country,” said Imparato. “I think the question is, does the Democratic Party need a bunch of rich people who have been keeping it to be a center party, or can it create a new coalition of poor people.”
Oklahoma and California will be among 12 other states in voting in primary elections on Tuesday, meaning the next few days could be vital in determining who gets the nomination.
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma.
