With the Democratic Party gearing up for make-or-break congressional elections, the cries nationally by fellow Democrats for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to step down are growing louder.

On Wednesday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called the NY Attorney General’s report “troubling” and said Cuomo should “step aside.”

What You Need To Know

  • Dr. Lara Brown, a professor at The George Washington University, has her doubts about whether Cuomo and the drama in Albany cou​ld be a drag on the party

  • If history is any guide, Democrats could be facing a difficult midterm election in 2022

  • Already, some Republicans like Rep. Elise Stefanik are trying to use Cuomo’s troubles to attack Democrats

Cooper is the vice-chair of the Democratic Governors Association.

His call follows those of President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with a slew of New York Democrats.

What implications could the scandal unfolding around the governor have on the Democratic Party’s fortunes nationally?

Dr. Lara Brown, who heads the political management graduate program at The George Washington University, has her doubts about whether Cuomo and the drama in Albany could be a drag on the party heading into next year, even if any impeachment process is drawn out.

“It's very difficult to run against a party as being sort of scandal ridden if the vast majority of the party is working to rid itself of the scandal,” Brown said.

Even so, Republicans already are trying to use Cuomo’s troubles to attack Democrats.

Rep. Elise Stefanik of upstate New York - the third-ranking House Republican - went on the attack almost immediately after the investigation of Cuomo was released, calling for his arrest and demanding President Biden urge him to resign.

 


“I can see this in maybe Republican mailer or two, but I don't think it's gonna be an overarching issue for the 2020 campaign for Congress,” said J. Miles Coleman, a political analyst at the University of Virginia.

Instead, Brown said to expect topics like the economy, inflation, and the state of the pandemic to dominate when it comes to how voters approach next year’s midterms.

“We are still over a year out from the 2022 elections,” Brown said.

If history is any guide, Democrats could be facing a difficult year ahead.

The party not in the White House (in this case, the Republican Party) tends to have some success in midterm elections. With the House and Senate chambers closely divided, losing only a handful of seats could leave Democrats out of power on Capitol Hill.