Oregon House race now a 'toss up' after far-left Democrat wins primary
Oregon congressional candidate Lori Chavez-Deremer on a progressive candidate defeating another moderate Democrat in Oregon's fifth district.
Oregon state Rep. Andrea Salinas, who is running as a Democrat to represent Oregon's 6th District in the U.S. congress, revealed that national Democrats view President Biden's low approval rating as making her race more difficult.
In video obtained by Fox News Digital, Salinas said during a campaign stop that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) told her the president's ratings made her campaign far more competitive than it otherwise would be.
"Somebody said earlier, Congressional District Six is a 54% Democratic performance index. I met with the DCCC just a couple of weeks ago. They said because of our president’s sliding ratings right now, we should handicap ourselves about 3%. So, this district really is closer to 51%," she said as she spoke to supporters.
Democrats face historic headwinds as they seek to hold on to their slim majorities in the House and Senate, as President Biden's approval ratings are near record lows and polls consistently show that voters are most concerned about inflation and the economy.
Salinas, whom Speaker Nancy Pelosi opposed during the Democratic House primary in Oregon, called the opposition "heartbreaking." Salinas, however said that following her victory Pelosi told her "I look forward to supporting you as you move forward.
Unlike some Democratic candidates in running in competitive races, Salinas has said that she would support President Biden in 2024 "if he was the Democratic nominee," but stopped short of saying she wants him to seek re-election.
Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., gave a similar response when asked if she would support Biden's 2024 re-election bid.
HOUSE PRIMARIES IN NC, PA, OR, CAP BLOODY INTRAPARTY BATTLES AS CAWTHORN, LEE, SCHRADER FACE TESTS
Rep. Andrea Salinas is running in Oregon's new 6th Congressional district. (Andrea Salinas for Congress campaign)
The congresswoman told CNN's Dana Bash, "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it… Should he run again, I think it's — we'll take a look at it. Right now we need to focus on winning a majority instead of a presidential election."
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GOP candidate Mark Erickson won the Republican primary in May and will face Salinas in the November midterms.
Oregon gained a seat after the state's congressional map was redrawn to better represent its growing population.
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