Democrats think they can beat Republicans with a new pitch: Washington is corrupt

Democratic challengers in some of the most closely watched House contests are running on a shared promise to clean up Washington, according to MS NOW. Their proposals tend to overlap: prohibit stock trading by lawmakers, keep corporate money out of campaigns, set term limits that would reach the Supreme Court, and stop former members from becoming lobbyists. Many candidates tie the message to voters' worries about the cost of living.

Bale Dalton, running in Florida's 7th district, wants to rebuild the House Ethics Committee, which he calls ineffective. The seat belongs to Republican Rep. Cory Mills, who lost his August primary while under an ethics investigation. In Virginia's 1st district, Shannon Taylor, a former county prosecutor, proposes mandatory jail time for politicians who steal public funds and says she will follow her own no-stock-trading and no-corporate-PAC rules even if Congress does nothing. Paige Cognetti, the Scranton mayor, backs similar steps against Rep. Rob Bresnahan, who has drawn scrutiny over his trading; his team says an outside firm handles his investments.

Several of these candidates describe the whole capital as compromised instead of targeting President Donald Trump.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →