Montana governor: Dems don’t need to ‘walk in lockstep’

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) said Sunday that he believes Democrats don’t need to “walk in lockstep” ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Bullock said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he didn’t think Democrats were becoming too far left and that he thinks there is room for diversity of thought within the party. 

“That really stands in contrast with anyone [on the right] who steps out of line with this current president,” Bullock said.

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Bullock’s comments come just 80 days before the midterm elections where Democrats hope to win back control of the House. Democrats need to flip 23 seats, which a number of political handicappers have said is a possibility.

The left, however, has struggled with unity as it balances longtime Democratic leadership with a rise in progressive candidates.

The party saw a significant shake-up earlier this year with the victory of Democratic candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York’s 14th Congressional District. Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described democratic socialist and political upstart, unseated 10-term incumbent Rep. Joseph Crowley (N.Y.), the Democratic chairman, in a shocking upset in June.

Some newer Democrats, like Ocasio-Cortez, have expressed discontent with party leadership. 

Last month, Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), the vice chairman of the caucus, amplified previous calls for an overhaul of the party’s top three leaders. Sánchez cited a desire for younger lawmakers with fresh ideas to lead the party.

Bullock, who won Montana’s governorship even as the state went for President Trump in the 2016 election, said he does not think a firm divide between progressives and centrists exists. 

“When I’m traveling around the country I really don’t see it,” he said.