Republicans are growing worried about down-ballot losses in November due to Donald Trump's status as the party's presidential nominee and his apparent lack of organization in some states.
According to Politico, Republicans are moving money around to pay for ads in states that include tight races at the local, state, and federal level. New polls are also being conduced to gauge voters' interest in choosing Republicans on their ballots.
"Right now in some ways it's the fear of the unknown," Republican pollster Erik Iverson told Politico. "What is this electorate going to look like in November? Who's going to turn out, and who are they going to turn out for at the top of the ticket?"
The website reported on a few issues with Trump's campaign:
- He is struggling in the key demographics of women, millennials, and college-educated voters.
- He does not have much of a presence in some states.
Further, Trump's polarizing style means his support among fellow Republicans is scant — which means many Republican incumbents up and down the ballot are running for reelection without the public support of the party's presidential pick.
Some candidates have taken matters into their own hands. In Arizona, Sen. John McCain has seven workers at three offices trying to help both his own reelection and other down-ballot Republicans, Politico reported.
"I've never seen anything like this from a McCain organization — it's more like a tech company," former McCain staffer Tony Bradley told Politico.
Another situation has unfolded in Missouri, where Republican candidate for state treasurer Eric Schmitt is using part of his $2.5 million pile of campaign money to help other candidates within his party get elected.
Several recent analyses have determined Democrat Hillary Clinton is ahead of Trump in electoral college votes and seems on pace to win by a comfortable margin in November.
The Washington Post, for example, estimates Clinton to have 244 electoral college votes already in the bag. RealClear Politics gives Clinton 229 votes.