Top Dem Senate hopefuls to skip convention

[WestVirginiaRebel]

The Hill:

When Democrats gather next week to crown Hillary Clinton as their presidential nominee, some of the party's top Senate challengers won't be there.

 

A handful of Senate Democratic hopefuls are planning to skip the convention because of conflicting schedules or to campaign in their home states.

 

Campaigns for Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.), former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) confirmed to The Hill that the candidates won't attend the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

 

The three Democratic hopefuls are in competitive Senate races that could determine which party controls the upper chamber next year. Democrats needs to pick up five Senate seats — four if they keep the presidency — to win the majority.

 

Both Kirkpatrick and Cortez Masto are expected to use the week to campaign. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), whom Kirkpatrick will likely face off against in November, also skipped his party's convention this week in Cleveland.

 

Feingold said last month that he never intended to attend the party's convention.

"I just don't usually spent a lot of time at national conventions if I'm running because there is much more to be done here in the state," he said during a campaign stop, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "It's just because I believe we're working on a grass-roots campaign."

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Priorities!