WASHINGTON _ Democrats in swing districts are finding that issues such as health care, prescription drug costs and infrastructure are more on the minds of constituents than impeachment.
"I definitely hear a lot more about health care (and) infrastructure," said Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan.
"In some ways there might be impeachment fatigue from some of the constituents. They seem more interested in talking about policy, drug pricing, infrastructure," said Rep. Ami Bera, a California Democrat, of his findings at a recent town hall meeting.
None of this is much of a surprise to House Democratic leaders, who have long understood that voters in many districts want to hear from lawmakers about day to day issues impacting their lives.
Bera noted that his office did get a lot of constituent contacts about impeachment while the House was debating the issue in December.
Lately, though, "The folks that are watching the trial probably already see a foregone conclusion with the Senate, I think," he said. "Many of my constituents probably want to see Congress move on and start solving these (other) issues."
Showing that concern is particularly crucial for freshmen Democrats such as Davids as the party fights to retain the House majority it won in 2018. Republicans need a net gain of 18 seats to win the majority back, and Trump in 2016 won in 30 districts whose House seats are now held by Democrats.
The "natural thing for the Republicans to do" in those districts is to nationalize the House races and show that support of the GOP candidate is support for President Donald Trump, said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan elections newsletter based at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
Democrats, on the other hand, "will try to de-nationalize those races through talking about issues that aren't directly tied to the president," Kondik said.
Rep. Josh Harder, D-Calif., won his first term in 2018 with 52% of the vote, defeating Republican incumbent Jeff Denham. Rep. TJ Cox, D-Calif., won his first term in 2018 with 50.4% over another Republican incumbent, Rep. David Valadao.
Cox's office has found that constituents tend to contact him about a variety of issues, with spikes occurring if something of special local interest is in the news.
"On the phones and every day I'm out in the district, my constituents contact us with personal and immediate problems," he said.
"Some of them are having issues with a federal agency, some tell me they won't be able to afford their insulin for next month. Helping people solve those types of problems are always in the front of my mind and they're what we hear about the most."
Harder had similar findings.
"The people I work for are clearly more focused on water, health care, and jobs than impeachment _ and so am I," he said.
This yen to tend to such constituents' concerns is a point a lot of Democrats make. While virtually all support impeachment, and very much dislike Trump, they are working to show they're problem-solvers and good listeners, not political gladiators.
"Nancy has been extraordinarily brilliant in making sure that we can walk and chew gum at the same time," Rep. Salud Carbajal, a California Democrat whose central coastal district includes San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, said of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi, D-Calif., for some time has routinely begun news conferences by talking not about impeachment, but other topics such as efforts to curb prescription drug costs or boost infrastructure spending. Thursday, she did just that, talking at length about the two topics before taking questions.
At his town hall Jan. 21 in Goleta, Carabajal gave an update on impeachment, explained in his opening remarks his vote to impeach, and was asked one or two questions on the subject. Then he and the audience went on to other topics.
"It was great to be able to say, after addressing impeachment, 'let me tell you about all the bills we've been working on,'" he recalled. He heard a "general menu" of topics from constituents.
Just like Democrats in swing areas around the country. A Gallup Poll taken Dec. 2-15 found that 35% of adults regard health care as an extremely important 2020 campaign issue, followed closely by terrorism and national security at 34%.
Asked why she found health care was more on people's minds than impeachment, Davids said health care is "the thing that's causing not only the most stress emotionally, (but) health care is causing the most financial stress for people."
In more Republican congressional districts, lawmakers find people not only tired of impeachment, but downright angry.
"I think people have long ago made up their minds and moved on," said Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., "but I have noticed when someone brings up the issue when I'm out and about, it's usually a Republican who is hopping mad." Trump won his district in 2016 by nearly 15 percentage points.
The message to Democrats, though, is to remember the "kitchen table" issues. Remember, as Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., put it:
"The reality is our constituents want us to have accountable government and they want us to solve problems for them."
And remember this, he said: "No one runs on a platform of wanting to impeach a president. They run on wanting to make a difference for their constituents."
