Tester Makes Statement On Biden During Interview

It seems like some key Democrats are taking a strategic approach when it comes to their alignment with Vice President Kamala Harris as the 2024 election season heats up. Candidates like Texas Rep. Colin Allred, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, and Montana Sen. Jon Tester are all running tight races, and while they might be aligned with the Democratic platform, their public support for Harris has been, at best, lukewarm.

Let's start with Colin Allred in Texas. Running against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is no easy task, and Allred seems cautious about being too closely associated with Harris. Even though she made multiple trips to Texas over the summer, Allred was noticeably absent from these events. His endorsement of her on social media was described as “cautious and unclear,” a sign that he’s probably trying to navigate the Texas political landscape without alienating potential swing voters.

It’s not surprising, considering a recent poll showed Harris at 46% and Allred at 45%—so any misstep could hurt his chances. Ted Cruz and his team have seized on this, attempting to tie Allred to Harris at every opportunity, with Cruz's campaign spokeswoman saying, “Colin Allred is Kamala Harris," implying that their policies are one and the same.

Then there’s Jon Tester in Montana, who’s taken a pretty bold approach by flat-out refusing to endorse Harris. This is interesting because, back in 2015, Tester, as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), was instrumental in recruiting Harris to run for Senate. Fast forward to now, and he’s keeping his voting intentions close to the chest, simply stating, “That’s between me and the ballot box.”

Clearly, Tester recognizes that being too closely tied to Harris could be politically risky in a state like Montana, where the margins are slim, and Harris isn’t exactly polling high. Tester sits at 44%, a slight edge over Harris’ 40%, according to a recent New York Times poll. He’s treading carefully, perhaps trying to maintain some distance while not alienating the core Democratic base.

Sherrod Brown in Ohio seems to be playing a similar game. He’s publicly endorsed Harris but made it clear that their campaigns are separate. Back in July, when asked if he’d campaign alongside her, Brown dodged the question, emphasizing his own focus on fighting for Ohio. In August, he reiterated that they have different schedules and different strategies.

This kind of careful distancing is probably a reflection of Ohio’s tight political landscape, where Brown is polling at 46%, just one point ahead of Harris. Again, any misalignment with the state’s more moderate or undecided voters could hurt him in what’s shaping up to be a highly competitive race.

What’s interesting is how Republicans have jumped on this hesitation from Democrats. The National Republican Senatorial Committee’s communications director, Mike Berg, even pointed out the irony, saying, “All of these Democrats rushed out of the gate to endorse Kamala Harris and have voted with her 100% of the time, so it is funny that they are now trying to create distance from her.”

It’s a clever strategy to paint these candidates as hypocritical—publicly endorsing Harris while quietly backing away as the polls tighten.