Top Dem Senate hopefuls to skip convention

When Democrats gather next week to crown Hillary Clinton as their presidential nominee, some of the party’s top Senate challengers won’t be there. 

A handful of Senate Democratic hopefuls are planning to skip the convention because of conflicting schedules or to campaign in their home states.

{mosads}Campaigns for Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.), former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) confirmed to The Hill that the candidates won’t attend the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

The three Democratic hopefuls are in competitive Senate races that could determine which party controls the upper chamber next year. Democrats needs to pick up five Senate seats — four if they keep the presidency — to win the majority.

Both Kirkpatrick and Cortez Masto are expected to use the week to campaign. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), whom Kirkpatrick will likely face off against in November, also skipped his party’s convention this week in Cleveland. 

Feingold said last month that he never intended to attend the party’s convention. 

“I just don’t usually spent a lot of time at national conventions if I’m running because there is much more to be done here in the state,” he said during a campaign stop, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “It’s just because I believe we’re working on a grass-roots campaign.”

Meanwhile, Jason Kander, a Democrat running to unseat Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), is also skipping the party powwow citing a scheduling conflict. 

“Due to the number of events we have in Missouri next week, Jason won’t be able to make it to the convention,” Anne Feldman, a spokeswoman for Kander’s campaign said in a statement Tuesday. “He was looking forward to supporting Missouri’s delegates in Philadelphia but will make sure to catch up with them when they come home.” 

Republicans quickly pounced on the announcement, hinting that it was tied to a recent Public Policy Polling (PPP) poll that found Clinton trailing her Republican rival, Donald Trump, by 10 percentage points in the state. 

But Feldman added Tuesday that Kander’s missing the convention was “purely a scheduling decision.” 

“Jason attended an event with Secretary Clinton in St. Louis just last week and looks forward to her fighting for Missouri’s 10 electoral votes this fall,” she added. 

On the GOP side, most endangered 2016 incumbents have also chosen to stay away from Cleveland this week as the party prepares to formally nominate Trump. 

Other Democratic candidates are heading to Philadelphia, but their campaigns warned they won’t be at the convention for the entire week. 

Former Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, who is facing Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), is expected to attend part of the convention. 

North Carolina Democratic hopeful Deborah Ross’s campaign told The Hill on Monday afternoon that it looked as if she would be at the convention for one day, but her schedule wasn’t final.

Not all of the party’s top Senate recruits will be missing from Clinton’s coronation.

Campaigns for Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and Pennsylvania Democrat Katie McGinty told The Hill that the candidates will be in Philadelphia next week.