Republicans Eye Flipping House Seat in America’s Smallest State

The smallest state in America could cause the biggest upset to Democrats in the 2020 midterm elections.

Allan Fung, a self-professed middle-of-the-road Republican, is showing a comfortable lead in polls over six Democrats in his bid for Rhode Island’s second district Congressional seat in Washington DC.

While he is hardly the only moderate Republican showing some promise in flipping a Democrat seat in the mid-term elections, his popularity in progressive New England is unprecedented and seen as a potential omen of what’s to come nationally.

“The possibility of a Republican in Rhode Island winning a congressional seat could have national implications in similar districts,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center.

The polling center conducted a statewide survey showing Fung, the lone Republican contender in the race, with a six to ten percent favorability over Democrats in the general election. He has the advantage of not running against incumbent James Langevin, who is not seeking re-election in the deep blue state for the first time since 2001.

That leaves six new faces for voters to choose from for the Democratic ticket in Rhode Island’s primaries, which will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Despite his popularity, Fung’s chance of beating the winner seems like a long shot given how long its been since voters in the “Little Rhody,” as it is nicknamed, have sent a Republican to Washington DC.

The last one was Lincoln Chaffee, who served his final year as a U.S. Senator in 2007. Chaffee then changed his party affiliation to Democrat and was elected governor.

Democrats have dominated New England’s collective political makeup in U.S. Congress for quite a while.

The only exception is Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who has been anything but warmly embraced by Republican party liners.

She was one of the

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