Recall: House Dems Targeting Scott Walker

Roll Call reported last night that the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee, the national party arm to support candidates running for Congress, is shifting resources into Gov. Scott Walker’s recall election:

The DCCC confirmed to Roll Call today that the committee has shifted its Badger State operation, in place to aid Democratic Congressional candidates in the fall elections, to boost the party’s effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker (R) and replace him with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Today, the DCCC today sent an email fundraising appeal asking its supporters to help underwrite its participation in the recall campaign.

“We’ve gotten a lot of questions about the upcoming Wisconsin election,” DCCC Field Director Brynne Craig wrote in the email. “Here’s the answer: our Wisconsin team is in.”

This is highly unusual. The committee, after all, raises money for the sole purpose of electing Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives. All of its campaign operations are designed to elect candidates to the House. To shift any of these resources and operations to a governor’s election is unprecedented. 

It is also a clear sign that the Democrats are increasingly worried about their chances in next month’s recall. The DCCC is targeting a couple House GOP members in Wisconsin this November. They are obviously worried that a Walker win in the recall could dampen democrats already tepid enthusiasm going into the Fall elections. 

DNC, which hasn’t committed any resources to the recall fight, seems to already see the writing on the wall. Democrats have racked up a string of losses in the past two years in Wisconsin. Having vested so much into the recall, the Democrats would face a demoralizing loss if Walker were to win. 

The DCCC’s unusual move suggests that is exactly what may happen.