I joined PBS NewsHour’s William Brangham, alongside Democratic strategist Joel Payne, to discuss the primary results and the direction of both parties.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: So, for more on last night’s results, we are joined now by political strategists from both sides of the aisle.
Republican Liam Donovan previously worked for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
And Democrat Joel Payne currently works for the progressive group MoveOn.
Gentlemen, thank you both so much for being here.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I mean, Liam, as Joel is saying, Republicans clearly wanted to run against Hong because of these statements like wanting to cancel Thanksgiving and to perhaps abolish the police. So they don’t have that foil now, and now they have to run against Crowley. How do you see that unfolding?
LIAM DONOVAN, Republican Strategist: I think, number one, I mean, Francesca Hong was not a great candidate that was very, very ripe for Republicans. They were certainly rooting for it. I think, if you’re looking at the initial polling, though, Crowley is matching up similarly against Tiffany in the general election. It is still a tough matchup. And it’s going to be coming down to I think the environment and how Crowley shows me — this is a guy who not in the race a month ago, so how he shows on the campaign trail, very impressive comeback. I think, to Joel’s point, the collective action problem that Democrats managed to solve, I think they saw the race flash before their eyes with the experience in Michigan.