For Red-State Democrats, Accusation Against Kavanaugh Scrambles Midterm Calculus

The sexual assault accusation against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh hasn’t just upended what was expected to be his relatively easy Senate confirmation to the Supreme Court. The allegation has also scrambled the political calculations for 10 Democratic senators running for re-election in states won by President Trump, particularly three moderate Democrats who had been weighing a yes vote.

Few politicians have a greater stake in Judge Kavanaugh’s fate than these 10 senators who are trying to appeal to red-state voters back home, and whose re-election bids will determine whether Democrats win control of the narrowly divided chamber in November. CONT.

Jonathan Martin, New York Times