Why Jeffries and other top Democrats are heading to red states
The aspiring future speaker wants to neutralize the Republican redistricting maneuver — but he has subtler goals, too.
Johnny Garcia, a Democratic candidate in Texas, has asked House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to visit his district in deep-red Texas. Jeffries, who may need Garcia's support to win back the majority in the House, could also benefit from Garcia's victory in another way. The Republican redistricting has backfired, as seen in other red states as well.
The party's super PAC has pulled out of Jared Moskowitz's reelection race in Florida after making his district redder. Democrats hope that neutralizing the Trump power play is particularly strong in Texas, where Republicans initially dreamed of gaining five House seats. Garcia is making clear that he'd be a reliable vote for Jeffries, even in a potential speakership race.
Jeffries may face a fractious progressive base, but swing-seat candidates like Garcia don't see him as a polarizing figure. The focus of Jeffries and Garcia during their trail tour was cost-of-living issues and the party's pushback to GOP redistricting.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
