Former vice president Joe Biden is my choice to be the Democratic nominee for president. There are many reasons why Biden is my choice – his experience that will allow him to step into our domestic and international challenges on day one, his desire to bring the nation together, his record of accomplishment. But there is another reason that I hope undecided New Hampshire voters consider as they ultimately decide on a candidate: We need a nominee who cannot only defeat Donald Trump but also has the coattails to keep the U.S. House Democratic, retake the Senate, and even pick up some governors’ races like the one here in New Hampshire.
Polling consistently shows Biden outperforming the other Democratic candidates in head-to-head match-ups with Donald Trump, including in critical battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. But we also must consider how our nominee will impact down-ballot races. Will down-ballot Democrats in purple and red states get to run toward our nominee’s agenda and candidacy or will they be compelled to run from it? And if they have to run from that agenda, do we have any chance of holding on to those seats or picking up new ones? We need a nominee with a centrist agenda who can win in red and purple states.
I have deep respect for all the candidates running in New Hampshire this year. Any one of them would be preferable to Donald Trump. My choice is the unifying candidate with coattails: Joe Biden.
NED HELMS
Concord