(RoyalPatriot.com )- The biggest upset for Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections could come from the smallest U.S. state.
In his campaign for the open 2nd Congressional District seat in Rhode Island, Republican candidate Allan Fung, who describes himself as middle-of-the-road, is currently in a commanding lead over six Democrats.
While he’s not the only moderate Republican with a chance to convert a seat from blue to red in the next midterm elections, his popularity in liberal New England is unparalleled and is seen as a possible sign of things to come nationally.
According to David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, the prospect of a Republican capturing a congressional seat in Rhode Island could have national repercussions in comparable districts.
In the general election, Fung, the lone Republican running, now leads Democrats by six to ten points, according to a statewide poll conducted by the polling place. The fact that Jim Langevin chose against running for a 12th term in the intensely blue state gives him the advantage of not having to face him.
Given how long it has been since residents of “Little Rhody,” as the district is known, elected a Republican to Washington, D.C., Fung’s chances of winning in November look remote despite his popularity.
Trump themes have largely not been present in Fung’s campaigning. The well-liked former mayor of Cranston, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2014, has maintained his attention on President Joe Biden, whom he has criticized for leading what Fung has termed the worst economy in modern politics.
Just two weeks before the primaries, Fung’s campaign released the first TV advertisement of its kind. In it, he can be seen at the gas station questioning the high fuel cost, high-fiving a police officer, greeting regular people on the street, and endorsing his “middle of the road” political philosophies.
Fung, who is running as a pro-choice candidate, has previously firmly supported restricting abortion rights.
However, Fung’s appealing campaign slogan, “It’s Time For America’s Comeback,” seems to connect with Republicans like Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan did.
Kevin McCarthy, the Republican minority leader in the U.S. House, recently visited Rhode Island to support Fung.
