Congressional Dems go from panic to wary relief: Is the chaos over?

Congressional Democrats are cautiously coming to one conclusion: We’re no longer doomed.

President Joe Biden’s exit from the presidential race breathed new life in the fight for control of Congress, and the party’s candidates said they feel like they once again have a real chance at winning. Within 24 hours, many of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents coalesced behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee, eager to project unity after weeks of chaos.

Almost no one is suddenly confident that Harris will easily beat Trump and boost their chances at flipping the House (challenging) or keeping the Senate (even harder). But it’s a welcome relief from the last three weeks of panic over Biden’s vulnerabilities. And they’re moving quickly to figure out how best to deploy Harris in their own races, with Democrats starting to poll head-to-head matchups between her and Trump and at least one PAC starting to test pro-Harris messages, according to three people familiar with the plans.