Freshman Democrat campaigns on own record amid a challenging congressional session
WASHINGTON — House leaders sent lawmakers home for summer campaigning after one of the rockiest sessions in recent memory. Voters in November will decide which party controls Congress for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term.
For incumbents seeking to stay in office, particularly the newest members, the political environment presents a challenge.
“I only know a dysfunctional Congress,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a freshman Democrat from Virginia, said.
Subramanyam said the best approach for incumbents is to run on their own records delivering for constituents, rather than on the performance of Congress — especially as his party tries to wrest control from Republicans.
“It’s virtually impossible to sell the performance of Congress to the American people because Congress is such an easy punching bag,” Subramanyam said. “And this particular Congress has been ceding too much of its authority to the executive branch.”