The New York Times reported on Saturday that conservative and Republican voters in suburban areas are fed up with Donald Trump and the GOP lawmakers that have enabled him. These are the same voters that are crucial if the GOP wants to regain control of the House and keep a majority in government.
“Suburban districts … have long been critical bases of Republican support, packed with affluent white voters who reliably chose Republicans to represent them in Congress,” reported Emily Cochrane and Catie Edmondson. “Democrats seized control of the House in 2018 by making inroads in communities like these, and Republicans have tied their hopes of reclaiming power to preserving their remaining footholds there. But as Mr. Trump continues to stumble in his response to the pandemic and seeks to stir up racist fears with pledges to preserve the ‘Suburban Lifestyle Dream,’ such districts are slipping further from the party’s grasp, and threatening to drag down congressional Republicans in November’s elections.”
Two of these longtime Republican voters are Cass and Samantha Madison, who live in Sugar Land, Texas, just outside of Houston and plan to vote for Democratic foreign service officer Sri Kulkarni for Congress in an open Republican seat. “The lack of accountability kills me,” said Samantha, noting the GOP’s “very poor handling” of the coronavirus pandemic “from top to bottom.”
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Another disaffected Sugar Land Republican is attorney Farha Ahmed. “The megaphone is really with the president and that is what has translated to all the Texas Republican leaders,” she complained. “It makes it very difficult for them to carry out what they need to do for health and safety reasons.”
“I have always been a mostly straight-ticket voter — I don’t think I will be this coming election,” said a Cypress, Texas Republican, Wade Miller, who is losing confidence in GOP Rep. Michael McCaul. “We’re talking about human lives here, and if people aren’t willing to do what it takes to save lives, what else aren’t they willing to do? I will definitely be changing my vote come November.”
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