Dem
47
GOP
53
Secretary of HHS Robert Kennedy Jr. mysteriously keeps showing up in swing House districts. On Tuesday, Kennedy was in Charlotte, MI, with Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) talking about MAHA. Last week, Kennedy visited Thornton, CO, in the district of embattled Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO). The week before, he was in Western Wisconsin with Rep. Derrick Van Order (R-WI), saying that Louis Pasteur has been wrong for 100 years and drinking unpasteurized milk is healthy. Before that he was in Toledo, OH, in the district of top Republican target Marcy Kaptur (D-OH). Earlier this year, Kennedy spoke in Harrisburg, PA, in the district of endangered Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA). He has been to other places as well, but he does seem to have a special affinity for swing districts.
Is Kennedy planning to run for president in 2028 or for some other office? Is this just to flog his MAHA movement? Does he have Potomac fever? Does he think this will make him less unpopular? Who knows? Maybe he doesn't know either. After all, a dead bear cub ate his brain. No, wait, we have our Kennedy stories mixed up. It was a worm.
In any event, there doesn't seem to be any obvious reason for all the travel, and it is not even clear that showing up helps the candidates he appears with. While some MAHA moms like his emphasis on healthy food, others are furious with him about Roundup (glyphosate) and vaccines. At the very least, he is very controversial and it is doubtful that many House candidates have specifically sought him out to help with their campaigns. But he tends to march to the beat of his own drum. (V)