'Unmistakable mood shift': Democrats go on offense as abortion bans and Trump drag down Republicans

Democrats are invigorated as a shifting national political climate better positions the party in the 2022 midterm elections, according to a report published online by The Washington Post on Saturday evening.

"Democrats are voicing growing confidence about limiting losses in the House and potentially even salvaging their majority in the midterm elections, with candidates and allied groups making moves to capitalize on a backlash to abortion restrictions, signs of improvements in the economy and opposition to Donald Trump," Annie Linskey and Michael Scherer reported.

Democrats are increasingly confident about expanding their U.S. Senate majority and hope to defy history by holding the House of Representatives, but are still worried about state legislative races.

"After months of gloomy predictions, Democrats are investing anew in flipping Republican seats. They are also directing more money to protect a roster of their own endangered incumbents — a list party officials said noticeably shrank since the spring," the newspaper reported. "And they are trying to frame contests around abortion rights, putting Republicans on the defensive for strict opposition to the procedure in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Democratic fundraisers have reported an uptick in donations over the last month, and at least one of the party’s biggest donors is considering pouring more money into House races, according to people with knowledge of the situation."

The traditional home-stretch period of campaign will start after Labor Day.

"Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is privately voicing more confidence about the House landscape and opportunities to go on offense, people familiar with the conversations said, while President Biden’s White House has grown more optimistic in its outlook," The Post reported. "While Democrats acknowledge they still face major hurdles, there has been an unmistakable mood shift, according to interviews with candidates, strategists and officials. What was once a party privately bracing for dozens of losses is now one reassessing the House landscape and shifting to a more offensive posture with about 10 weeks left before Election Day."

Meanwhile, Trump spent his Saturday on Truth Social complaining about "fake news" and "invasion of privacy" in all capital letters.

"Democrats are defending only a five-seat majority in the House, putting Republicans well within reach of winning back control. Nonpartisan analysts still regard the GOP as the favorites and history shows the president’s party does not tend to do well in a first midterm," the newspaper reported. "Yet several Republican strategists have expressed concern about winning the House with only single-digit margins, which would make it harder for Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to easily ascend to speaker and could complicate the party’s ability to rally for even routine partisan votes. Those same strategists had hoped earlier this year to win a margin of 20 or more on the backs of a soured national mood and rising inflation."

Democrats are tightening their message to voters.

"Party leaders have sought to channel these developments — along with recent legislative accomplishments on health-care and climate change as well as the high-profile House committee hearings about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob — into a simple argument they are putting before voters: Republicans are extreme and Democrats have delivered," the newspaper reported. "They are betting that such a platform will break through, particularly in the suburban battleground areas where the fight for control of the House is expected to heavily run through this fall."

The newspaper interviewed prominent lobbyist and former Democratic Party staffer Steve Elmendorf.

“There is a big difference between having a zero chance of success and a 30 percent chance of success,” Elmendorf said. “And if we do the right things over the next month, and go out and sell the accomplishments of the last year, we could have a 50 percent chance. Certainly everything is moving in the right direction, and there is room for it to move more.”

Read the full report.