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Democrats close to Kind have said he recognizes his re-election will be more difficult this year, with Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL, seeking revenge. The GOP candidate raised $ 750,000 last quarter, overtaking the incumbent. Still, lawmakers and Democratic strategists expected Kind – who sits on the coveted Ways and Means panel – to run again.
The first word of Kind’s retirement shocked Democrats, his move being a disappointing turning point for many who believed they largely dodged a pre-midterm exodus.
Kind’s now-open seat joins a daunting list of other races that Democrats will have to worry about as they head into the 2022 cycle on defending against an emboldened GOP, a potentially perilous redistribution and years of history indicating that the ruling party usually loses in the mid-term.
Kind is the latest Swing District Democrat not to run, including Reps Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Arizona), Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) And Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), Who announced his candidacy for the Senate last week. .
The Kind district, which spans southwestern Wisconsin, is one of the few seats nationwide where Trump’s support increased between 2016 and 2020. Its seat is not expected to change significantly. in the redistribution, as the state does not gain or lose a district, and there is divided partisan control of the state legislature and the governor’s mansion.
The next steps for Kind, who is 58, are unclear. The Wisconsin Democrat did not rule out a Senate candidacy earlier this year, and some Democrats have privately speculated that he could apply for a statewide candidacy, though the primary is already crowded.
Kind is a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee and has long been a leader of the moderate New Democrats. He built a reputation for himself as a gentle-mannered independent who wasn’t afraid to backfire on President Nancy Pelosi and even opposed her in leadership contests.
Although close to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Kind was not shy about saying he felt the Democratic caucus needed new leadership after being led by the same team – Pelosi, Hoyer and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (DS.C.) – for over a decade.
Despite her long-standing opposition to Pelosi, Kind voted for her as a speaker earlier this year in a very slim victory for what could be the California Democrat’s final leadership race.
Earlier this summer, Kind was hesitant about retirement, saying he still enjoyed “the job” but “it has become unpleasant and so polarized.”
“When two-thirds of your colleagues opposite, a few hours after the insurrection, come in and vote to overturn the election results. What’s going on? ”He added.
James Arkin contributed to this report.
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