Virginia Dem says GOP threats to democracy dominate district concerns in deep-blue Washington suburb

Democratic Rep. Don Beyer said the future of the nation’s democracy and elections is the “No. 1” concern voters are telling him about in his deep-blue district, even edging out inflation.

Mr. Beyer, who represents the affluent Washington suburbs of Arlington and Alexandria in northern Virginia, said almost all of his constituents have brought up concerns related to Republican election deniers as their top issue in the midterms.

“Almost everyone I’ve talked to is worried about the threats to democracy, especially the threat of who gets to count the votes and the people who are denying the legitimacy of the 2020 election,” Mr. Beyer told The Washington Times.

In addition to democracy, Mr. Beyer said inflation and energy prices have been among the top concerns, reflecting other regions of the country where the economy is top of mind.

But the heightened interest in democracy issues, which stems from the U.S. Capitol riot last year, indicates a stronger resonation with Jan. 6, 2021, among those living close to Washington, especially among Democrats.

“People are still traumatized by [Jan. 6] and that it can happen in the United States,” Mr. Beyer said. “Most of us understand it must never happen again and we have to hold people accountable.”

In a New York Times/Siena College poll, 71% of Americans expressed that democracy was under attack, but only 7% named it as the country’s top concern.

Divisions on the views of democracy have also fallen on deeply partisan lines. Democrats are raising concerns about the aftermath of Jan. 6 and the denial of President Biden’s victory, while Republicans have viewed the process to investigate the event as a partisan sham.

Mr. Beyer, who is likely to cruise to reelection in two weeks, will face Karina Lipsman on Election Day.

Ms. Lipsman disputed the lawmaker’s claims that Jan. 6 remains a top concern for constituents, based on her conversations with voters. She said she often hears that crime, inflation, and education are the top concerns.

“[Beyer] said earlier this year that the number one issue he hears from constituents is airplane noise. Later, he flip-flopped and said it’s climate change. He then said we needed the so-called Inflation Reduction Act to fight inflation before backtracking that we don’t have inflation, before claiming this is now a climate-fighting bill,” Ms. Lipsman said. “Don Beyer is so out-of-touch he’s not even sure which paid consultant’s talking points to follow. We must change our leadership and elect politicians who actually listen to their constituents.”

The four-term lawmaker, a former U.S. ambassador to Switzerland during the Obama administration, is arguably one of the safest Democrats in a bullish year for Republicans, who need a net gain of just five seats to flip the House.

Mr. Beyer said he is optimistic that Democrats can still hold onto the House, but would like to see more bipartisan efforts if they are in the minority, particularly around securing a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, or those who were brought into the country illegally as children.

Mr. Beyer said a lack of immigration reform has been his biggest disappointment for his party while they have controlled Congress and the White House.

He praised Mr. Biden’s efforts on climate and infrastructure, as well as the first two years of his presidency. If Mr. Biden decides to seek another term, Mr. Beyer said he would support the president.

“If he decides to run again, yes I will support him,” he said. “I think we pretty much all will. He’s done an incredible job. He’ll get blamed for [inflation] even if it’s not his fault. When inflation moderates, he’ll be in a good position in 2024.”