Don Young added to the Dem’s target list for 2018

By
Suzanne Downing
-
6

DCCC SAYS IT HAS LARGEST BATTLEFIELD IN HISTORY

Alaska Congressman Don Young has been added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s target list for the 2018 election cycle.

That brings the group’s list to 101 targeted seats.

Young represents a red state that voted for President Donald Trump by a 15-point margin in 2016, but the state has lost thousands of resource jobs and more people are dependent on the government for work or a check of some sort. Some analysts are now rating the state purple — or a toss up.

Alaska is still rated as a “safe” state for Young’s re-election.

But the Democrats don’t seem to think it’s a safe seat, and they’ll be pouring money into defeating Young, who rose from being a school teacher in Fort Yukon to being the Dean of the House.
Young’s challenger is NEA-advocate Alyse Galvin, who was a Bernie Sanders Democrat who is running as an undeclared candidate, and Greg Jones, a far-left Bernie Sanders supporter and registered Democrat.
Neither of the challengers has the centrist appeal that would be needed to win the seat from Congressman Young, who on March 6 will have served as Alaska’s sole U.S. representative for 45 years.
It’s just as likely that the Democrats are looking ahead four years to the next election, or betting that the congressman keels over before November. Young will turn 85 in June.
Other representatives added to the DCCC list include Maryland’s Andy Harris, New Jersey’s Christopher Hunt, Ohio’s Steve Stivers, who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, South Carolina’s Ralph Norman, Texas’ John Carter, and Wisconsin’s Sean Duffy.
Cook’s Political Report considers Alaska to be so safe for Republicans in the 2018 congressional race that it doesn’t even include the state on its map depicting Republican districts.

DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Lujan, however, described the national committee’s strategy as “likely the largest battlefield in history. Democrats are firmly on offense for a variety of reasons, including incredible candidate recruitment, record-breaking fundraising, a historically unpopular Republican agenda, and extensive district level polling showing Democrats already beating or in close competition with their opponents. We have a long way to go and won’t take anything for granted, but are on track to take back the House in November.”