Tenney's red-meat rhetoric alarms House Republicans
The congresswoman suggested most mass shooters are Democrats and called for a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton.
By RACHAEL BADE and KYLE CHENEY 04/27/2018 05:06 AM EDT
Rep. Claudia Tenney learned last week that she’d been outraised by her Democratic opponent for the second quarter in a row, a sign that her hold on a moderate upstate New York district is in peril.
But if GOP leaders thought that would be a five-alarm reminder for the vulnerable freshman to pursue a moderate path to reelection, they were mistaken. Days later, Tenney called for the jailing of Hillary Clinton and James Comey — embracing a hard-line stance championed by President Donald Trump but shunned by most GOP leaders and virtually all moderates.
“Lock them up!” a Tenney campaign email blared on Tuesday, touting her call for a special counsel to investigate the Democrat presidential nominee and former FBI director.
Tenney's red-meat rhetoric may play well with a national GOP base that's loyal to Trump. But some Republicans are nervous that she's boxing herself into a posture that won't play well in her center-right district.
Tenney is one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the House. Her once reliable GOP district is now considered a toss-up by political handicappers. But unlike other colleagues in swing districts who have distanced themselves from President Donald Trump and shunned partisan rhetoric, Tenney is leaning into both.
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https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/27/claudia-tenney-new-york-reelection-alarm-republicans-556082