As calls to impeach President Donald Trump grow among some Democrats, candidates running in key Senate races are taking different approaches, with many distancing themselves from the idea of impeaching him. Some Democrats have called for Trump’s impeachment during his second term, accusing him of abusing his power over his tariffs, immigration enforcement and the Iran war that they believe requires action from Congress. Those efforts have been doomed from the start—Republicans control both chambers of Congress and have not signaled any interest at all in supporting impeachment.
Some Democrats want their representatives to pursue impeachment if they retake control of Congress in the midterms, and leadership may have to thread the needle on that issue next year. In battleground states, Democratic Senate candidates have mostly been wary of impeachment, declining to call on their potential future House colleagues to pursue proceedings against Trump. Even if Democrats retake control of Congress, removing Trump from office would remain a steep challenge.
A House impeachment would trigger a Senate trial, where conviction and removal would require a two-thirds majority, meaning it would need backing from some Republicans. Some Democrats also see impeachment as a distraction. They have emphasized the economy and affordability as their top priorities in the midterms, rather than running on impeachment.
As polls suggest voters view the economy as their top issue, they may prefer to keep it in the spotlight rather than focus on potential investigations into the administration. Most Democratic candidates in competitive races have generally declined to support impeachment proceedings against Trump. In Ohio, former Senator Sherrod Brown, who is seeking a comeback against Republican Senator Jon Husted, has distanced himself from impeachment.
There's just simply no reason for that, no matter what happens in the midterms,” he told The Columbus Dispatch in an interview published Monday. New Hampshire Representative Chris Pappas, who is facing a close contest against former Senator John Sununu in the race to succeed Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, told Manchester-based news station WMUR he believes impeachment “should not come at the expense of the need to focus on the cost of living crisis and addressing the healthcare challenges that New Hampshire is facing.” Still, he said there is also a need for some accountability. We’ve seen the tip of the iceberg being reported on, but it could go much deeper than that in terms of the culture of corruption, the way that Donald Trump is fleecing taxpayers and serving himself,” Pappas said.
Josh Turek, who is running against GOP Representative Ashley Hinson in Iowa’s Senate race, said during a recent debate that he has “no interest” in impeachment. Adam Hamilton, who is hoping to flip Kansas by unseating Republican Senator Roger Marshall, told MS NOW he is “not going to Washington to hold trials.” “I’m going to Washington to fight for the people of Kansas and make life better for them,” he said. James Talarico, the Democratic candidate running against Republican Ken Paxton in Texas, said during a primary debate that he would not “articulate articles of impeachment” during a political debate, but that if charges were brought, he would “carefully evaluate them.” More progressive candidates, however, have supported impeachment.
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