Down-Ballot Democrats Aren’t Feeling Biden’s Electability Problem — Yet

Democrats in competitive House and Senate races are trying very hard to differentiate themselves from Biden. Early numbers show it’s working, for now.

Sherrod Brown
House and Senate Democrats have each been buoyed by post-debate polls showing their candidates maintaining support even as Biden declines. Jeff Dean/AP

President Joe Biden’s electability problems haven’t yet affected polls of marquee congressional races, according to strategists in both parties who say there’s been virtually no movement in most down-ballot races over the last several weeks.

That doesn’t mean Democrats can breathe easy in the battle for control of the House and Senate, particularly after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, which could have previously unforeseen effects on the polls and Biden’s standing in his own party.

In the weeks since Biden’s debate performance and subsequent intraparty argument over whether he should continue as the Democrats’ presidential nominee, candidates from both parties scrambled to adapt to the new political reality.