McHENRY, Ill. — A Democratic congressman from a critical Midwestern battleground said explosive hearings to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh were a drag on his party’s momentum heading into the midterm elections.

Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., in suburban Chicago Thursday to campaign for the Democratic nominee in Illinois’ 14th Congressional District, said his party’s bid to flip control of the House was quickly back on track after what he described as a brief hiccup. But Kildee conceded that the Kavanaugh affair might have benefited House Republicans, because it shifted the focus away from President Trump.