Democrats say that if they want to take back control of Congress, their candidates need to be able to break with the base

Moderate Democrats want flexibility to break with the party's base on polarizing issues in order to be able to win in more conservative districts.
Distancing themselves from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is another key component.

WASHINGTON — Many Democrats want breathing room for their candidates to break with both leadership and the base if they want to continue to win in moderate conservative districts across the US.

And their desire to break from the liberal orthodoxy is evidenced by Conor Lamb's upset victory in the special congressional election in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night.

Lamb defeated Republican Rick Saccone in a GOP stronghold for a number of reasons: Overwhelming Democratic enthusiasm in a midterm cycle, facing off against an unappealing candidate, and more. But most importantly, Democrats on Capitol Hill said, is that Lamb was a unique fit for an otherwise conservative district.

"Whether it's 2nd Amendment or social issues, they're gonna need room if they're gonna win in more conservative districts and if we want to win a majority we're gonna need to make sure to provide them with that room," he added.

Wisconsin Rep. Ron Kind told reporters that "we need a big tent if we're gonna be a governing coalition for this country again," noting that like Lamb, President Donald Trump carried his district in 2016. Kind is part of the New Democrat Coalition (NDC), a group of younger, moderate Democrats in the House.

Kind added that the NDC would be adding eight more Democrats to its group on Wednesday, bringing the total to 68.

"And after this midterm, I wouldn't be surprised if we're at triple digits of the coalition," Kind said.

"My opponent wants you to believe the biggest issue in this campaign is Nancy Pelosi. It's all a big lie," Lamb said in the ad released in February. "I've already said on the front page of the newspaper that I don't support Nancy Pelosi."

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"I've been calling that for a number of years now that it's time for new leadership in both parties quite frankly," Kind said. "Because we're stuck here. It's so dysfunctional, it's all top-down management. It's not the way this institution is supposed to function and that starts with the leaders of both parties and that's what needs to change."

But top brass in the Democratic Party backed away from Republicans attacks on Pelosi. Crowley said the Republican strategy of linking candidates to Pelosi "is worn" and that she "has been an incredible leader for the Democratic Party and she continues to be."

"The attempt here to nationalize it by the Republicans — I think they need to get a new gamebook," Crowley said. "The attempts to use Nancy Pelosi is failing them at this point. And I think quite frankly it's sexist. So they need to move on from that."