Although he spoke in South Dakota, Sen. Steve Daines had a message for Montana — and Ohio and West Virginia.
“If you’re a Democrat and you’re running in these states, we’re here for you,” said Daines, R-Montana. he told an enthusiastic crowd who had gathered to listen to former US President and current Republican frontrunner Donald J. Trump.
While South Dakota’s entire Republican congressional delegation was noticeably absent from the event, Daines said he drove to the rally from across the border. Daines is leading U.S. Senate Republicans’ efforts in the 2024 elections, which includes an attempt to win back the majority for the GOP.
Daine’s name mentioned the three states – Montana, Ohio and West Virginia – the three he will target to swing the Senate. Among the challenges in those three states is his colleague, Sen. Jon Tester, the lone statewide Democrat.
In a speech on Friday evening that lasted seven and a half minutes, Daines ran through a long list of criticisms aimed at US President Joe Biden’s administration, including inflation, the cost of food and the energy policies he said were aimed at targeting it , eliminating any criticism of domestic production of oil and natural gas in favor of “China-made batteries.”
Daines has been in Congress for 11 years – both the House and Senate – and called the four years of Trump’s presidency the “biggest four years in DC” during his term, equating the Senate’s star with Trump’s.
He said he uses his daily walk from his Washington, D.C. apartment to the office as time for reflection and said he is looking forward to January 2025.
“Thank God Joe Biden will no longer be president of the United States,” Daines said.
Daines said he disapproved of the way Biden handled a Chinese spy balloon floating over America, including Montana and South Dakota, and advocated shooting it down over one of the states.
“I told the president the worst thing that could happen is you hit a cow, a mule deer or an antelope,” he said.
Daines said his job was to “take the gavel away from Chuck Schumer,” referring to the Senate Majority Leader, a New York Democrat, who said Trump needed to work with the Senate to confirm his Cabinet nominees. when he is re-elected.
“Imagine if he had to call Chuck Schumer. This will be a disaster. And that’s why we have to win the majority again,” said Daines. “I look forward to making America great again.”
The Tester re-election campaign declined to comment for this story.
All politics is local
Lee Banville, a journalism professor at the University of Montana who teaches political science and media reporting, said Daines’ message was both secure and strategic.
Focusing on the three states – Ohio, West Virginia and Montana – is key to handing control of the Senate, Daines’ job in the 2024 elections. And given the slim margins and the fact that these states are proving they are ready are trying to elect Republicans to federal office, it makes sense to energize and inform Republicans.
“It’s really a pretty simple math equation,” Banville said. “If you can nationalize a local race, you can steer it toward the GOP.”
While it is unclear what appeal Trump has to moderate or swing voters, Trump’s brand remains forceful among conservatives. The strategy, Banville said, is to get voters in the three target states excited about Trump and tie Republican Senate candidates to the energy created by the former president.
“Presidential races always impact voter turnout. So if more people get excited, that will be helpful from the president to the local dog catcher,” Banville said.
While Trump and his legal battles in four different jurisdictions may turn off some voters, he believes Daines and GOP pollsters are taking a different approach: Win three battleground states by energizing and appealing to conservative voters in the Basically organize all races locally by association.
“They argue that supporting Trump in these states is not a dangerous undertaking,” Banville said.
