The GOP strategy was encapsulated by a March 2023 Politico headline: “Republicans are looking for Senate candidates who are filthy rich.”
But a consequence of the strategy is that Republicans are heading into battle with a crop of candidates who have not experienced an intense general election, at a time when Democrats’ best path to maintaining control of the Senate is to make their Republican challengers look unqualified for the job.
One way to do that is to question the authenticity and biographies of the challengers, and top Republican candidates have been feeling the heat in the media in the past few weeks.
In Montana, Republican Tim Sheehy has had to explain his differing stories about the origin of his gunshot wound, according to The Washington Post.
The challenger to Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, Republican Dave McCormick, has been criticized for the lack of time spent in the Keystone State; a New York Times story questioned the authenticity of his western Pennsylvania upbringing; and Democrats are highlighting his business connections to China.
In Wisconsin, Republican Eric Hovde has faced questions about how much of his adult life he’s spent in the Badger State and questions about his bank being named as a co-defendant in an elder abuse case.
And in Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno has faced questions about his biography and business background in his effort against Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.
Lake’s claims that the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen, and Hogan’s GOP label in a Democratic state, are liabilities this cycle.
Sheehy has never run for office before and McCormick, Hovde, Moreno and Nevada Republican Sam Brown have never made it out of a primary.
We’ve seen Republicans snatch defeat from the jaws of victory before, and biographical questions give Democrats an opportunity to shift key races into personal contrasts rather than partisan contests.
