Vulnerable Dems lead list of lawmakers skipping convention

A handful of leading Democrats are skipping their party’s convention in Chicago this week, suggesting that some lawmakers want distance with their party’s presidential nominee even amid the euphoric reaction she’s received since ascending to the role.

Here’s some of the top Democrats who aren’t attending the Democratic National Convention:

Sherrod Brown

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), who is navigating a reelection battle in a state that has increasingly voted Republican, told CNN earlier this month that he would not attend the convention. He told the outlet, “I often skip conventions,” and that he sometimes attends conventions for “maybe a day.”

But social media, publicly released convention schedules, and national and local news reports have shown that Brown has attended each convention while he has served in Congress.

“We’ve been planning to be in Ohio for months and Sherrod is looking forward to hearing from Ohioans in Youngstown, Toledo, Cleveland, Chillicothe, and Sandusky this week to discuss his record fighting for the Dignity of Work,” campaign spokesperson Eliza Green said.

The campaign said Brown had been planning to skip the convention this year to spend more time in Ohio and noted that the senator has endorsed Harris.

John Fetterman

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) is a bit of an outlier compared to the rest of the Democrats passing on the convention, as he is not up for reelection this year.

Fetterman’s plan to not attend was revealed Sunday, when the outlet The Free Press published an interview with him. He said the convention is “not about me” and that he had decided not to attend “well before” President Biden’s dismal debate performance against former President Trump in June.

“I’ve got three young kids, and they’re out of school,” he said. “That’s four days I can spend with my children.”

Fetterman also rejected the idea that he was avoiding the convention because he may not be as welcomed, given his strong support for Israel.

“I don’t agree with a lot of their views, but whatever kinds of political choices or any kind of political costs that I’ve incurred throughout all that, I don’t care,” Fetterman said about the impact of his position on the war in Gaza.

Martin Heinrich

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is running in a more comfortably blue state than his fellow Democrats, but New Mexico became a bit more of a target for Republicans as Biden faltered. Heinrich, who has declared his support for the ticket, has other plans this week.

“Senator Heinrich is excited to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the next President & Vice President of the United States. He has other commitments during the time of the convention,” a spokesperson told Scripps News.

Heinrich endorsed Harris a few hours after she entered the race and praised her pick of Walz as a running mate after she chose the Minnesota governor.

Jacky Rosen

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) is focusing on her reelection campaign this week instead of attending the convention, as she faces Republican Sam Brown in what may be one of the closest Senate contests this year.

“It’s important that I’m home,” she told The New York Times in an interview. “That’s the best place I can be.”

But Rosen, who has not previously attended a Democratic convention, did appear with Harris and Walz at a rally in Las Vegas on Saturday and made clear that she backs the Democratic ticket.

“Senator Rosen supports the Harris-Walz ticket and was glad to join them on the campaign trail in Las Vegas this past weekend,” a campaign spokesperson said. “She is also focused on her own reelection and will be talking with Nevada voters during the week of the convention.”

Jon Tester

This year, Montana Sen. Jon Tester (D) is facing likely his biggest reelection challenge yet in the otherwise solidly Republican state. He is one of the relatively few congressional Democrats who has not yet endorsed Harris, and Montana Public Radio reported he didn’t return a ballot in the Democratic National Committee’s virtual roll call vote for Harris earlier this month.

The three-term incumbent will not attend the convention and instead will hold a fundraiser Wednesday with a member of the rock band Pearl Jam, according to the Montana Free Press.

The campaign’s press secretary told the outlet that Tester will spend his August farming and meeting directly with Montanans.

Yadira Caraveo

Colorado Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D) is in her first term after being elected in the state’s 8th Congressional District in 2022, and Republicans have targeted her seat as a possible flip opportunity. She is one of five House Democrats the House GOP campaign arm is going after with a mobile billboard outside the convention this week.

The billboard will show photos of the members with the words, “Have You Seen Me?”

Val Hoyle

Oregon Rep. Val Hoyle (D) is skipping the convention, reportedly due to wildfires raging in her state.

“Wildfires are getting worse out here and working this is her priority right now,” Karmen Fore, Hoyle’s chief of staff, told Punchbowl News.

Hoyle is running for reelection in a race that Cook Political Report rates as “Likely Democrat” but is still in the House Democrats’ campaign arm’s “Frontline” program to protect potentially vulnerable members.

Jared Golden

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) is seeking reelection in a red-leaning district that appears likely to vote for Trump in November. He has kept his distance from the national party.

The Bangor Daily News reported this month that Golden declined to join the virtual vote to nominate Harris and would not attend the convention. He has also declined to say for whom he will vote in November.

“I’m spending August mostly away from the well-worn campaign trail, meeting voters in the places Mainers go to enjoy summer in our great state,” Golden posted Saturday on the social platform X.

Mary Sattler Peltola

Alaska Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola (D) was able to flip her House seat blue in 2022 for the first time in decades, and she will focus on her primary this week as Democrats hope to hold onto her seat.

She and other candidates are running in a blanket primary Tuesday in which the top four candidates will advance to the general election. It will be conducted by ranked-choice voting. A spokesperson for her campaign told The Hill that Peltola had two get-out-the-vote events scheduled for Monday and will have a party to watch the results come in Tuesday evening.

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) narrowly defeated Republican Joe Kent two years ago and is trying to defend her seat in a rematch with him. A spokesperson said she would be focused on her campaign this week.

“She’s spending the time in the district and focused on her re-election,” said Emmett Avery, a press assistant for the campaign.