The Political Insider

On Tuesday, long-time moderate Democrat Rep. Ron Kind of Wisconsin announced he would not be seeking re-election in 2022.

The announcement came as a potential harbinger to Democrats, who are hanging on to a razor thin majority in the House, and could be facing daunting battles with the party in power traditionally losing seats in the midterm elections.

Kind was first elected to the House in 1996 in southwestern Wisconsin’s rural 3rd district. The race against his Republican opponent Derrick Van Orden last fall was too close for comfort. Kind won by just three percent. In 2018, he beat out his GOP challenger by more than 20%.

More disturbingly for Democrats, Donald Trump won the district in 2016 and 2020.

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A Rematch In 2022

Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL, is looking for a rematch in 2022. So far last quarter, he was able to raise $750,000 towards that effort.

In a statement regarding Kind’s retiring, Van Orden said it, “is indicative of what I hear every day as I travel the 3rd District: Wisconsinites want a change.”

Ron Kind may be the last of a dying breed. He and his district could be described as moderate. Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district is a place former President Donald Trump won twice, in 2016, and by an even bigger margin in 2020.

He has also not been afraid to go against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or the party as a whole. Kind had said that the Democrat Party needs new leadership after being led by Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Majority Whip James Clyburn for over 10 years.

Kind’s retirement comes at the worst time for Democrats.

Three other swing district Democrats have announced they would not be seeking re-election in 2022. Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ), Cheri Bustos (D-IL), and Conor Lamb (D-PA), who is running for Senate. 

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Only Some See The Writing On The Wall

It might not be obvious to all just yet, but Democrats may be beginning to sweat.

Fox News reports that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), chairman of the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee, in a closed door meeting recently cautioned his fellow Democrats that if the midterm elections were held right now, Republicans would take control of the House. 

However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would not hear of it. She said that she is “confident” that Democrats will keep control of the House.

At a recent press conference, Pelosi stated, “I’m very confident that we will win the House. I always run from behind.” She added, “You never run from the best-case scenario, there are several scenarios here, that was one of them, and I think that’s a safe place to run from.”

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Being ‘Woke’ Not Helping Democrats

The Democrat Party may do well to listen to moderates like Kind, who say that being woke is not helping their chances in 2022.

Democrat political strategist icon James Carville, has been vocal about warning Democrats about using the vocabulary of the university faculty lounges with such phrases as “latinx,” and “communities of color.” He continued, “You ever get the sense that people in faculty lounges in fancy colleges use a different language than ordinary people? … This is not how voters talk.”

Carville added that, in Democrat circles, it is becoming apparent that being woke is a problem, but no one will speak up for fear of the cancel culture mob. 

During his announcement, Kind said he would continue to concentrate on issues like COVID, the economy, and infrastructure. He added, “I’m not done. We have 16 months to go. I’m going to break the tape, as they say.”