WASHINGTON _ One Republican ad questioned a combat soldier's commitment to helping other veterans. Another struck a sinister tone in referencing a veteran's Marine Corps T-shirt. And in yet another congressional district, the GOP candidate implied that ideas don't matter in the military, prompting backlash from a major veterans-related group.
In the homestretch of a brutal 2018 congressional campaign season, some Republicans _ long accustomed to the support of national security-focused voters _ are struggling to respond to the unusually large number of military veterans running as Democrats in districts from Kentucky to Maine. They are grasping for ways to talk about those contenders without appearing dismissive of their service _ and without opening up more avenues for their opponents to highlight personal stories of heroism, a challenging balance in some of the most high-profile House races in the country.
"It doesn't appear that Republicans know how to run against our candidates," charged Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan in a recent conversation with reporters.
