NEW: “Republicans Should Be Worried” – DSCC’s Devan Barber Discusses How Dems Are Moving “Deeper Into Republican Territory” on NPR’s Morning Edition

DSCC Executive Director Devan Barber: “I think the polls are showing us, across the battleground, a very clear trend: which is that the battleground is moving deeper into Republican territory. Democrats have some enthusiasm at our backs. Republicans should be worried”

In a new interview today with NPR’s Morning Edition, DSCC Executive Director Devan Barber discussed how Senate Democrats have pushed the map “deeper and deeper into Republican territory” – with “six clear offensive opportunities,” “multiple paths” to retake the majority, and “states like Kansas even moving into the battleground.” 

With a looming “backlash against this party in power,” a slate of Democratic Senate candidates who are “really in touch with the voters they’re seeking to represent,” and Republican opponents who are “out of touch” and “part of the problem in Washington” – Democrats are on offense across the map, with “an advantage on candidate quality,” “an advantage on messaging,” and “an advantage on voter enthusiasm.”

Listen to the interview and read the transcript below: 

NPR: What Challenges Lie Ahead for the Democratic Party as Midterms Approach

NPR’s A MARTÎNEZ: Let’s hear from someone who’s working to elect Democrats in these midterms. Devan Barber is executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and she’s on the line with us. 

Devan, we just heard from Domenico Montanaro that the Super PAC affiliated with Senate Republicans is moving money into usually unfamiliar territory such as Kansas. Why do you think that is? 

DSCC Executive Director DEVAN BARBER: Well, look – I think it helps to remember where we started to understand where we are today. We started the cycle with Republicans incredibly bullish about keeping or even expanding their majority to 55 seats, and over the course of the cycle, what we’ve seen is the combination of a backlash against this party in power, the strong issue set that’s working across our battleground, and most importantly, really strong candidates who we know can overperform in their states, and formidable campaigns have really pushed the Senate battleground deeper and deeper into Republican territory. 

And now we’re sitting here with six clear offensive opportunities on the Senate battleground, and states like Kansas even moving into the battleground where maybe they were more expansion opportunities just a few weeks ago. 

MARTÎNEZ: Is that where you see the best opportunity for Democrats in states that are previously considered Republican strongholds? 

BARBER: Well, look, we have multiple paths at this point to potentially take back the Senate. So, from states like North Carolina, Maine, Ohio, Alaska, Iowa, and Texas, we have clear opportunities to pick up those seats and get back the Senate majority. And then we have states like Kansas, who even just in the past few weeks, are now moving into that battleground territory where Democrats could potentially have a shot to win. 

MARTÎNEZ: Now, one fly in the ointment, possibly, as we just heard from Domenico, the Democratic Party as a whole has a popularity problem. So, I’m wondering how you encourage Democratic voters to turn out for your candidates and not just stay at home. 

BARBER: Well, we had a theory at the beginning of the cycle that, in a Trump midterm, the electorate would look a little more favorable for Democrats in general and that our turnout would be strong. Republicans might struggle with turnout without Trump on the ballot, and that swing voters might be more up for grabs for us. 

And we’ve seen that play out over the course of special elections and off-year elections last year; we saw it play out in reality. And then, of course, when you look at each of the individual races, these are ultimately candidate versus candidate battles. And on the Democratic side, we have candidates who are really in touch with the voters they’re seeking to represent, who are really speaking to the concerns voters have this cycle, and we see opponents on the Republican side who are out of touch and who are, in many cases, part of the problem in Washington right now, and the backlash we’re seeing that voters are reacting to. 

MARTÎNEZ: Thing is, though, Democrats are being outspent. There is a cash gap between Democrats and Republicans. How do you think that’s playing out? 

BARBER: Well, it’s a challenge for us in this final stretch. I think we have an advantage on candidate quality. We have an advantage on messaging. We have an advantage on voter enthusiasm. 

But one thing Republicans have is more money, and you’re seeing them run that play in the final stretch. Our candidates and our campaigns are doing the best they can to stay competitive, and of course, if anyone wants to get involved, feel free to visit dscc.org and help us cobble together the money to support our candidates and help them in the final stretch. 

MARTÎNEZ: […] Is there a risk that Democrats might be putting too much stake in polling today? 

BARBER: Well, look – I think what polls show us is a trend line, and we use polling as one tool out of many in our toolbox to assess and analyze these races day-to-day. And I think the polls are showing us, across the battleground, a very clear trend: which is that the battleground is moving deeper into Republican territory. 

Democrats have some enthusiasm at our backs. Republicans should be worried. So I think we use polling less as a tool to perfectly predict any particular race, and more as a trend to see what voters are thinking, and how the battleground is shaping up over the whole country.

See also: DSCC: WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: Democrats’ “Recipe for Flipping Red-State Senate Seats” and “Advantage in Candidate Quality” Generate “Momentum” Across the Map; DSCC: Democrats “Within Striking Distance” of Senate Majority with “Big Map” & “Wind in Our Sails” as GOP Returns Home With “Fresh Campaign Headaches”; DSCC: QUICK CLIP: Top Forecaster: Dems Are “In Serious Contention to Flip the Senate” [CNN]