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By Andrew Stanton
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President Joe Biden's post-debate polling has sparked concerns among Democrats that Republicans could take full control of Congress in the November elections.
Biden is facing calls from many Democrats to withdraw from the election following his debate performance against former President Donald Trump last month, in which he sounded hoarse and stumbled through several answers, doing little to dispel concerns about his age. A growing number of Congressional Democrats are calling on him to step aside as polls show him continuing to trail Trump in key swing states.
Polls suggest Trump continues to hold a lead over Biden in the national popular vote, as well as in key swing states, sparking concerns from some Democrats about how this could affect swing state and district Democrats.
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On Thursday, Representative Greg Landsman, an Ohio Democrat representing a potentially competitive Congressional district, warned on CNN that it is becoming "more likely" Republicans will control all three branches of government next January, adding that "everything is on the line here."
"The stakes are so high, Trump in a second term would be dangerous to our democracy. He'll upend our lives. The only thing worse than that is if he was in control of all three branches of government, which is becoming more and more likely to happen. That's where we're headed," he said.
Democrats are already facing difficult odds in the Senate, defending seats in Republican-leaning states in Ohio and Montana as well as several other swing state seats. Meanwhile, Democrats need to flip only a handful of seats in the House of Representatives to regain control of the chamber.
Grant Davis Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University, told Newsweek that Biden's polls could lead to a drop in voter turnout for Democrats, which could have implications on races beyond the presidential election.
The candidates on the top of the ticket may not influence who people are voting for, but could impact who shows up to the polls, he said.
"If enthusiasm among Democrats drops, either through dissatisfaction with Biden and concerns over his health, or concerns about a Harris presidency, that could lead some potential voters to just sit it out. And on the other side, sensing a victory, it could energize the Republicans," he said.
Democrats may consider treating the election like a midterm by not tying themselves to Biden and making a strong case for their election, he said.
"Their own campaigns' ground games will become very important to try to ensure that they get their own turnout," he said.
If Biden decides to step aside, Democrats would need to quickly pick a new nominee to generate enthusiasm, as well as for the party to adjust its strategy and messaging, he said. However, this could still pose a challenge for Democrats, as Vice President Kamala Harris, viewed as the most likely replacement, has seen a mixed bag of polling, with some surveys suggesting she is not a stronger candidate than Biden.
If Democrats were to step over Harris, it would not be a "good look" for them, he said.
"There are some other prominent Democrats who might be more appealing in a national general election; I just don't see how the Democrats get to them without creating a lot of chaos and bitterness," he said.
Harry Enten, CNN's senior data reporter, has also warned that Biden's struggling poll numbers could be bad news for other Democrats in close races.
"Downballot effects of a Biden loss are clear for Democrats. The House would likely be gone. GOP has opened up an edge on the generic ballot. If Biden loses, the chance of Democrats holding the Senate is close to zero because of the map and WV being an easy GOP pickup," he wrote in a post to X (formerly Twitter).
In New York, which is home to five of the most competitive House races in the country, Democrats have expressed concern about Republicans making gains in the state.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, a Democrat, told Politico, "I truly believe we're a battleground state now."
"The implications for control of Congress are real enough that I think this needs more national attention," he told the publication.
Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic nominee in California's Senate race, told MSNBC that downballot Democratic candidates are "running well ahead of the president" but warned they "can only run so far ahead of the president."
"Obviously, Joe Biden is gonna need to consider, for his own sake and his own legacy, can he beat Donald Trump? Is he the best to beat Donald Trump? But also, the profound impact this decision, maybe the most important of his presidency, will have on the House, on the Senate, on the future of the country," he said.
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