Why It's Important This Democrat Freshman Will Vote For Trump Impeachment

With the House of Representatives gearing up to vote on whether or not to impeach President Donald Trump this week, some Democrats have signaled their hesitation to vote against the motion. However, these concerns may prove unwarranted.

Freshman Utah Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams said this week that he plans to vote in favor of impeachment. In a public statement, McAdams said that he “cannot turn a blind eye there by condoning this president and future presidents, Republican or Democrat, to do the same. The evidence for me is clear: The president abused the power of his office by demanding a foreign government perform a personal favor. He obstructed Congress and its constitutional duty of oversight by withholding certain documents and central witnesses.”

Why is McAdams’ intent to vote for impeachment so important? As a freshman Democrat from a traditionally red state, such a vote could prove risky if he is to retain his seat. Concerns were raised by Democrats and supporters of the Trump impeachment when it appeared that some Democratic representatives, with a tenuous hold on their districts, may opt to vote no. This uncertainty stems from a desire to avoid alienating their constituents in order to achieve successful reelections next year.

In many ways, McAdams could be seen as a potential reflection of how other freshmen Democrats may decide their votes – if this proves to end up being the case, Hill Democrats, particularly those in the Senate, will likely release a major sigh of relief.

Two other Democratic representatives in embattled districts have also signaled their intent to vote for impeachment, Michigan's Rep. Elissa Slotkin and South Carolina's Joe Cunningham.

That isn’t to say McAdams and others may face the political consequences when he seeks reelection next year. Before declaring his position on impeachment, a great deal of money had been spent on running advertisements deriding the freshman Democrat and his partisan peers. A spokesperson for Trump’s reelection campaign, in response to McAdams’ statement, pointed out that he and others who vote in favor of impeachment will face backlash: “Voters won’t forget his cowardice. McAdams’ political career is over.”

Whether these dire assertions become reality remain to be seen for McAdams and other Democrats. It will, in no small way, depend largely on how Senate Democrats handle the impeachment trial and whether they are able to sway more Americans to support Trump’s removal –- as it stands, the country remains evenly split on impeachment.