Party leaders like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi invested time hosting fundraisers and urging others to campaign on behalf of Democratic contender Jon Ossoff, but as Republican contender Karen Handel narrows the gap between the two candidates, party strategists worry that they will lose in Tuesday’s runoff election.
"Just like any sporting event, however unlikely it is that you’re close heading into the fourth quarter, a loss is bitterly disappointing and there will be some feeling of, "when do we get this done if it’s not this race?'" Democratic strategist Dan Kanninen told Politico. "You’ll definitely see some hand-wringing from Democrats wondering when we’re going to get over that hump."
So far, Democratic candidates have lost in Kansas, Montana and the April 18 Georgia special election.
"There’s a lot of anticipation that Democrats could do better than Hillary [Clinton] did, but it remains to be seen if Democrats can turn these so-called red districts into something purple," former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile told Politico.