Senator Martin Heinrich, a two-term Democrat from New Mexico, was not on anyone’s watch list of incumbents facing serious re-election trouble given the reliable partisan tilt of his state, which has not voted for a Republican for Senate since 2002 or a Republican presidential candidate since 2004.
But in the weeks after President Biden turned in a disastrous debate performance against Donald J. Trump last month, Mr. Heinrich was among the Democrats privately panicking. Polls showed New Mexico slipping into an expanding universe of potentially winnable states for the former president — foretelling an electoral disaster for Mr. Biden and trouble in the senator’s own re-election race.
So Mr. Biden’s decision last weekend to exit the race took a weight off the shoulders of Mr. Heinrich and other Democratic incumbents, who now describe a sense of hope and momentum overtaking the doom and gloom that had permeated their party since late June.
“It just feels like a completely different world than a week ago,” said Mr. Heinrich, who is facing a challenge from Nella Domenici, the daughter of the state’s last Republican senator, Pete Domenici, a popular figure and household name in New Mexico. “Across the board — engagement, social media, anecdotal — everything feels different. I feel better about the broad momentum.”
Mr. Biden’s withdrawal is still fresh, polling is only beginning to come in, and Democrats still face significant challenges in holding their thin Senate majority and gaining control of the House. However, with the ascension of Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the ticket, lawmakers who were bracing for a November wipeout now feel more optimistic. Instead of dodging questions about Mr. Biden’s age and fitness, Democrats are hopeful to benefit from the grassroots support for Ms. Harris.
The shift in the electoral environment has brought renewed hope to Democrats across the country. Incumbents who had feared being dragged down to defeat by President Biden now see a glimmer of optimism. The departure of Mr. Biden has lifted a cloud of uncertainty, allowing candidates like Senator Martin Heinrich to feel more confident about their re-election prospects.
As the focus turns to Vice President Kamala Harris leading the ticket, Democrats are looking towards a new chapter in the upcoming elections. The stability brought by Harris’s presence at the top of the ticket has provided a sense of reassurance for lawmakers who were previously anxious about the outcome in November.
While challenges still lie ahead for the Democratic Party in maintaining their Senate majority and securing control of the House, the recent developments have shifted the mood within the party. The momentum and energy that have been ignited by Harris’s leadership are now driving Democrats towards a more positive outlook as they prepare for the upcoming elections.
