In May 2018, Politico reported that Democrats were confident they would oust Walters, given that in 2016, Hillary Clinton had carried the 45th district, writing that Walters had "backed some of the most polarizing planks of President Donald Trump's agenda", and that Walters was "upbeat about surviving the much-predicted Democratic wave". Politico noted her support for a popular November ballot referendum. "The only reason I'm a target is because Hillary Clinton won my district", said Walters.