ICYMI: DSCC Chair Sen. Gary Peters Discusses Ground Game Investments and Offensive Opportunities on Morning Joe

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT 

 

MSNBC: Morning Joe
January 10, 2024

• Mika Brzezinski: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced earlier this week an eight figure investment to hire on the ground staff in both [Montana and Ohio]. Joining us now, the Chairman of the DSCC, Democratic Senator from Michigan, Gary Peters. 

• Sen. Peters: We have two great candidates in both those states. That’s why we are making a significant investment — eight figure investment — in the ground game. We have battle-hardened incumbents and they’re going to face flawed candidates. In Ohio, we are seeing a very brutal Republican primary, there’s no question we’ll have a very extreme candidate come out of there. And when you contrast that to Sherrod Brown, who has fought for the people of Ohio and has delivered for the people of Ohio, I’m confident we’re going to win.
  
  
• Adrienne Elrod: In terms of Florida, I know that abortion access is going to likely be on the ballot in Florida. How is that going to impact the Senate race? 

• Sen. Peters: I think it’s no question that it’s going to be a powerful factor that motivates our base and particularly motivates young voters. We saw that in 2022: it was a critical factor for us in our targeted states there and we continue to see it as a powerful issue. …In our Senate race, we’re running against an incumbent Senator [Rick Scott] who has never won any of his elections — even when the Republican tide was behind him — by more than 1.2 points. This is a very competitive race. And with a ballot initiative that’s likely to be on the ballot in Florida, we’re very confident. And you’re looking at the Florida Legislature that’s taking very extreme views that are completely out of the mainstream for something as fundamental as reproductive health.
  
  
• John Heilemann: I’m curious about what you rank as the one or two likeliest Democratic pickups. Where are you focused on vulnerable Republicans that you think you might have a chance to gain a seat? 

• Sen. Peters: If you look at our [pickup] opportunities, we have two states. We just talked about Florida, Florida is without question an opportunity for us [and] we’re gonna have a great candidate there. But Texas is also an opportunity for us. We’re running against an unpopular incumbent, Ted Cruz. His last re-election, he won by less than two points. It is a competitive state. And we believe that we have a great opportunity in Texas as well.

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