West Virginia election results should have Biden rethinking his strategy: analysis
Donald Trump's endorsed candidate winning a Tuesday primary between two incumbent Republican congressmen should result in President Joe Biden rethinking his entire governing philosophy, according to an analysis published by The Washington Post.
Following the 2020 Census, West Virginia lost one of its three congressional districts during reapportionment. That resulted in two incumbent congressmen — David McKinley and Alex Mooney — facing off against each other.
Trump endorsed Mooney, who won the nomination according to projections by the Associated Press and Fox News.
James Hohmann analyzed the outcome for The Post and concluded McKinely's "double-digit defeat in West Virginia’s GOP primary, which largely turned on infrastructure spending, best illustrates why President Biden’s governing theory has failed."
Hohmann detailed how Biden campaigned on being able to pass bipartisan legislation.
"Last summer, after cutting a deal with Senate Republicans that would lead to passage of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, Biden claimed vindication. He mocked fellow Democrats who called him naive for believing the two parties could bridge their divides," he noted. "Since then, however, Biden has passed no other pieces of major legislation. And those few Republicans who voted for the infrastructure measure are stepping away from politics, voluntarily or involuntarily."
A majority of the 13 Republicans who voted for infrastructure will not be returning to office following the midterms after five retired, one died in office, and McKinley was defeated.
"When he voted for the bill, McKinley lamented how many of his constituents still lack Internet access, especially students who needed to connect to WiFi from fast-food parking lots during the coronavirus pandemic," Hohmann noted. "On Tuesday, West Virginia Republicans cast a vote that helps explain why their state continues to fall behind its more advanced neighbors like Virginia. In too many places, fighting culture wars is now far more important to the GOP than investing in clean water, stable bridges and reliable broadband access."
Read the full report.
NOW WATCH: Substitute Teacher uses Racial Slur in 6th Grade Classroom
Leave a Comment
Related Post