Dem US Senate 2020 Heats Up, Uses Tillis as Punching Bag

RALEIGH – Both the Democrats and Republicans have active primaries for North Carolina’s 2020 U.S. Senate election, but it seems that all of the candidates (minus one) agree on one thing – Tillis is terrible.

The Tillis brand, that of the least popular senator in the nation, is bad enough that it comparing a candidate to the incumbent serves as the ultimate dig. That’s not lost, apparently, on Erica Smith, a former state lawmaker and Democratic candidate for 2020.

Smith’s opponent, Cal Cunningham, has been on the receiving end of a lot of out-of-state and national money. Smith takes that to mean Cunningham is bought in paid for, and points out how familiar such representation is.

“I am un-bossed and un-bought!”

NC does not need another Senator with his vote bought & paid for by outside interests.

We have that now with @ThomTillis.

Shame on you Cal. #e4us #WorkingForUs https://t.co/auARWC6JqK https://t.co/EuTkuKZ9ei

— Erica D. Smith (@EricaforUSSen20) August 29, 2019

Ouch.

While there’s little chance a Smith term wouldn’t be replete with national progressive influence by Far Left interests, Tillis has already earned a reputation of answering to higher pull interests rather than the Republican base that elected him. His unpopularity will circulate through out the primary campaigns on both sides, as attacking the unpopular is popular indeed.

Tillis himself is using that principle as he says and does things to piggy back on the president’s chosen line of attack. Despite his best efforts to bear hug Trump in these final months, though, the damage to his reelection chances may have been sown already. Oddly enough, the Democrats hope Tillis makes it through his own daunting primary challenge because his negatives are the biggest (only) positive they could hope for.