Poll: GOP Sees Path to Retake House Through Democrats’ Support for Defunding the Police, Socialism

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) released a memo Wednesday detailing a path Republicans can use to gain the House majority due to Democrats’ support for socialism and defunding the police.

The NRCC poll found Republicans have an advantage over Democrats in battleground districts, which will play a vital role in the GOP’s ability to retake the House majority.

The survey revealed a generic Republican candidate holds a one-point advantage over a generic Democrat candidate amongst swing voters in battleground districts.

The poll said Republicans’ strongest issue, the economy, is voters’ top concern. Twenty-three percent of voters say the economy and creating more jobs are the most important issues for Congress, compared to 20 percent that they would like to focus on corruption, and ten percent said tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

Eleven percent said health care is the most important issue for Congress.

Fifty-percent of swing voters also approve of President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy, compared to 42 percent who disapprove. The NRCC memo emphasized they have not seen a decrease in swing voters’ approval of Trump’s handling of the economy.

Battleground districts swing voters are far less likely to vote for Democrats after hearing about the Democrats’ radical proposals, the NRCC wrote.

Swing voters largely disapprove of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) phase four coronavirus bill, the HEROES Act, which reportedly contains a provision that would allow for the release of prisoners, such as murders and rapists.

The NRCC wrote:

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of swing voters are strongly less likely to vote for a Democratic member of Congress who voted for legislation that could allow for the blanket release of prisoners, including murderers and rapists. Additionally, 61% of married women, 54% of college graduate women and 60% of voters age 65+ are strongly less likely to vote for a Democratic member of Congress who supported the legislation.

Forty-two percent of swing voters also approve of the Republican proposal to hold the Chinese government accountable for their failure to contain the coronavirus.

“Sixty-six percent (66%) of swing voters in offensive seats, and 63% in defensive seats, favor the Republican proposal, as do 78% of high school graduates, 64% of married women and 65% of voters age 65,” the NRCC wrote.

A majority of swing voters also disapprove of defunding the police. The Republican poll explained:

While 51% of swing voters in battleground districts support the protests (but not the violent aspects), when asked “based on the things that you have seen, read, or heard, do you support or oppose defunding police departments?” a full 46% strongly opposed defunding police departments. Additionally, 47% of married swing women, 50% of college graduates and 48% of seniors strongly oppose defunding police departments.

NRCC Chairman and Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) told Breitbart News Saturday host Matthew Boyle that Republicans believe that they can retake the House majority in 2020.

Emmer said that they had targeted 54 Democrat-held seats, and only need to retake seats to regain the House majority. President Donald Trump won 30 seats during the 2016 presidential election that House Democrats managed to flip during the 2018 midterm elections. Trump won 13 of those 30 districts by more than six percent.

Emmer said, “So we have targeted 54 seats. The top 30 Donald Trump won in 2016. The top 13 of those, Trump won by six points or more. These are Republican seats.”

“The bottom line is that Congressional Democrats are still decidedly out of line with political reality, and it will cost them seats in November,” the NRCC memo concluded.

The Tarrance Group completed the survey for the NRCC, which was conducted from June 7-10, polling 1,014 swing voters. Fifty percent of the interviews were conducted over cell phone.