OPINION: Democrat senators make pitch for Harris

In Idaho’s all-Republican congressional delegation, there are two things you will find during a presidential election campaign: Heavy praise for the Republican nominee (in this case, former President Trump) and plenty of darts to the Democratic nominee. Vice President Kamala Harris has been labeled as a disaster, if you talk with some of the higher-ups in Idaho politics. 

There are no congressional Democrats in the Gem State to counter those claims — unless you look to a couple of our neighboring states. Sen. Ron Wyden’s constituency in Oregon includes those who are aspiring to be part of “Greater Idaho” and Sen. Patty Murray of Washington represents areas that practically are an Idaho Vandals’ first down away from the Evergreen State’s border. That is, if you are living in Lewiston, Moscow or Post Falls. 

And, as with three of the four members of Idaho’s congressional delegation, Wyden and Murray have been around for a long time. Wyden was elected to the Senate in 1996 and has been in Congress since 1981, the same year that Ronald Reagan came into power. Murray is in her sixth term in the Senate. Not surprisingly, both are enthusiastically endorsing the Harris-Walz ticket.  

“I’ve been proud to work with Vice President Harris and the Biden administration on a record of Democratic successes these past three and a half years, including historic wins over Big Pharma and major gains in the fights against wealthy tax cheats and the climate crisis,” said Wyden in a statement from his office.  

Murray, in a released statement, touted her candidate’s accomplishments.  

“Vice President Harris helped deliver the strongest economic comeback in the world after Trump badly mismanaged much of the COVID-19 pandemic. She helped pass landmark bipartisan legislation to rebuild our infrastructure, bring semiconductor manufacturing home, and to greatly expand care and benefits to our veterans. Kamala was the deciding vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which has created hundreds of thousands of jobs and is lowering prescription drug costs.”  

It’s no mystery where the three Pacific Northwest states are likely to go in this election. Trump is poised to carry Idaho by a wide margin, as all GOP candidates have since 1968. Harris is almost a cinch to carry Oregon and Washington — the only real question is by how much. But it doesn’t stop the leading politicos from expressing their views about the election. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch have attacked Harris on the economy and foreign policy, and Democratic senators have no hesitation about building a case for Harris.  

“From the start, Kamala has made clear her campaign is focused on growing the middle class,” says Murray. “She is focused on building more housing to lower costs, expanding the child tax credit and making child care more affordable and accessible. Kamala knows that you don’t grow the economy by cutting taxes for billionaires and giant corporations — you invest in families.”  

Wyden was among the many Democrats nudging President Biden to step aside after that disastrous debate performance in June, saying, “I have made it clear that the top priority has got to be defeating Donald Trump.” Wyden says the Harris-Walz ticket gives Democrats the energy, and momentum, needed to accomplish that goal.  

The Oregon senator says Harris and Walz can build on the administration’s “impressive record and defeat Donald Trump — a convicted felon who wants to yank America backward with his checkered and erratic past of right-wing extremism on women’s health care, dirty energy and more.” 

In Murray’s eyes, the stakes in this election go beyond the presidential race. 

“With a Democratic majority in Congress, Kamala will restore a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions,” the senator said. “If you want to protect your freedoms and build an economy for working people, not billionaires, Kamala is your candidate.” 

Chances are that Harris won’t be Idaho’s candidate as electoral votes are tallied, although a fair number of folks will appreciate the remarks from the neighboring Democratic senators.

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Silver Valley native Chuck Malloy is a longtime Idaho journalist and columnist. He may be reached at ctmalloy@outlook.com.