When the 2018 elections practically wiped out GOP members from suburban districts, the party went into a panic. But since, the suburban vote, especially among women, has come back to the Republicans as the economy has surged.
“President Trump remains popular among suburban and rural voters, especially suburban women. Trump polls very close with suburban women among” 2020 Democratic challengers, said pollster Jonathan Zogby of Zogby Analytics.
“The suburban data is interesting and is a good reminder that midterm elections tell us almost nothing about what’s going to happen in the presidential election,” added pollster Chris Wilson of WPA Intelligence.
But Republicans are still antsy. So much so that Missouri Rep. Ann Wagner has created a “Suburban Caucus” to address key issues.
“This party cannot afford to kick the suburbs to the curb. We have got to start to do something to reach out and make a difference,” said Wagner, from St. Louis County, to a Ripon Society group.
“Women make up 53%-55% of the electorate. We make most decisions dealing with the household. We make the education decisions. We make the healthcare decisions — for ourselves, and usually for our spouses, for our children. And believe or not, if you speak to anybody in the arena of Medicare, they will say that a large percentage of the time they are speaking with daughters or a daughter-in-law. So that’s just the beginning of it,” she said, adding, “We have to do a better job as a party. I am honored to work with the hardworking conservative women of our conference.”
