Today, National Journal’s Josh Kraushaar highlights how the "storm clouds have gathered" for National Democrats already.
"For a while, they appeared on track, but in the last month, the storm clouds have gathered. Former Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina opted not to run again for the Senate, leaving Democrats empty-handed as they seek a challenger against Sen. Richard Burr in the swing state. New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, who looked likely to challenge Sen. Kelly Ayotte, now appears to be hedging her bets in the midst of a tough budget battle with Republicans. Scandal-plagued Rep. Alan Grayson is taking on party favorite Rep. Patrick Murphy in Florida, and he’s poised to spend millions damaging Murphy’s image in the primary. Meanwhile, party concerns over former Rep. Joe Sestak continue unabated in Pennsylvania—with few alternative candidates looking to run. Even Strickland, despite leading in several polls, disappointed party officials with his underwhelming first two quarters of fundraising." (National Journal, 7/22/2015)