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The re-election battle for the Illinois Democrats was much more competitive than expected. Sensing an opportunity, National Republicans threw money into the race in the final days and ultimately Bustos beat Republican Esther Joy King by around 4 points.
“I want you to know that I will not seek another term as president of the DCCC,” Bustos said in a letter Monday afternoon to his colleagues. “Instead, I will focus my legislative efforts on helping President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as we build back better for the people.”
In her letter, she said she was “emptied of the losses we have suffered” and pledged to begin “a transparent after action review to better understand why the national environment for polling and modeling has not materialized. – not just for House races, but also top to bottom Senate presidential polls and state legislative races. “
Several Democrats had previously lined up privately to replace Bustos, including Representative Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), Who currently heads the fundraising arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, BOLD PAC. Representatives Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas) and Sean Patrick Maloney (DN.Y.) are also part of the group.
Under his leadership, the DCCC has enjoyed a record-breaking fundraising year – despite a sharp economic downturn and a global pandemic that has forced much of the United States, including Democratic canvassers, to lock in this spring. And Democrats have held the House despite Trump’s unexpected resilience.
In a statement, President Nancy Pelosi credited Bustos for her fundraising prowess and “political skill” in protecting the Democratic majority amid the added challenge of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Strong in the values of the heart of the country, President Bustos has shaped a mainstream message, mobilized effectively and attracted the resources to do so,” Pelosi said in a statement.
Few have attributed the loss of Democrats to a lack of funding or outside support; almost no incumbent has been spent on television by an opponent of the GOP or a super PAC. Instead, Democrats pointed to a range of factors, from the lack from ground play in districts like South Florida to the GOP’s powerful attacks on “socialism” and other leftist slogans.
From the start, Bustos had a tough tenure on the campaign arm. She caught the attention of her black and Latino colleagues who claimed that she did not have enough diversity at the upper echelons of the committee.
Bustos won a four-man race for the DCCC after Democrats took over the House in 2018, defeating Reps Denny Heck (D-Wash.), Maloney and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.). Bustos presented himself as someone who knew what it took to be re-elected in rural areas and in the seats Trump held in 2016 – his seat in northwest Illinois fits both descriptions.
The upcoming redistribution poses another challenge for Bustos, especially as Illinois is on the verge of losing one if its 18 seats are being redistributed. She will likely compete for pro-Democrat voters in northern Illinois with first-year Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), Who faced a surprising close-up re-election race in a district won by Trump. . (The AP has yet to call the race.)
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