Congressional race in Virginia shows Trump drag on RepublicansWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Barbara Comstock is trying to untether herself from Donald Trump in her re-election bid for the U.S. Congress, but the Virginia Republican’s struggles show how difficult that can be. Comstock represents a wealthy House of Representatives district in northern Virginia where Trump has become a burden, one that her opponent is wrapping around Comstock’s neck. In local campaign ads, Democratic challenger LuAnn Bennett takes every opportunity to tie Comstock to the New York real estate developer and Republican presidential nominee. The strategy may be working. The Cook Political Report, a non-partisan election tipsheet, moved the Comstock-Bennett race from “lean Republican” to “toss up” on Wednesday, citing Trump’s unpopularity in much of the district. This is despite Comstock’s months-long effort to jettison Trump. In April, the former lobbyist and state legislator said Trump was actually a Democrat who knows “nothing” about the economy. She said in December that his plan to ban Muslim immigrants was “un-American” and “a silly idea.” In March, she gave campaign donations she got from Trump to charity. Earlier this month, she said Trump’s boasts about groping women, revealed in a video tape, were “vile.” She said she would not vote for him and urged Trump to drop out of the race against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. But it may be too late to undo the damage, political analysts said, with just 19 days remaining until Election Day. “In a normal year, Comstock would be a clear favorite, but right now her front runner status is in question because of Trump,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the Virginia Center for Politics.     “He (Trump) was a gift” to her campaign, said Bennett, a 63-year-old real estate executive. Bennett said Comstock, 57, waited too late in her re-election campaign to announce she would not vote for Trump, and argued that Comstock’s views on immigration, abortion and climate change are “shockingly similar” to Trump’s. Asked on Wednesday about voters’ view of her repudiation of Trump, Comstock said Bennett, if elected to the House, would be a “rubber stamp” for Clinton. “I’m the only one of the two of us who ... has a record of speaking out against people, whether it’s in my own party or not,” Comstock, a Georgetown University-educated lawyer, told reporters after a debate with Bennett. “I’ve made clear that I’m going to be my own woman.” Stretching from suburban Washington to the Shenandoah valley and the West Virginia border, Comstock’s district is home to thousands of government workers, as well as many well-heeled lobbyists and what Trump might call the Washington “elites.”  The area has been represented by a Republican in Congress since 1981, but has been a swing district in presidential years. Bennett said Democrats expect about 140,000 more voters to turn out in the district in this presidential election year than when Comstock was elected in a mid-term election two years ago. “We have a growing Latino community, we have a growing Asian community, and those communities are very unsettled by the rhetoric they’ve heard on the Republican side of the fence, and really worried about where this country is going,” she said. Kondik said, “This is one of the most highly educated districts in the country, and it’s filled with the kinds of Republicans that Trump could very well turn off.” A recent poll by the Wason Center for Public Policy in Newport News, Virginia, showed Clinton leading Trump by 55 percent to 21 percent in northern Virginia. That suggests that for Comstock to win, some Clinton backers will need to “split” their tickets to vote for Comstock, who made a name for herself in the 1990s as a congressional staffer dedicated to investigating members of the Clinton administration. Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, said: “With the lewd tape, Trump went from being a drag on the Comstock campaign to an anchor.” politicsNews
congressional race virginia shows trump drag republicanswashington reuters barbara comstock trying untether donald trump bid congress virginia republican struggles show difficult comstock represents wealthy house representatives district northern virginia trump become burden one opponent wrapping around comstock neck in local campaign ads democratic challenger lang bennett takes every opportunity tie comstock new york real estate developer republican presidential nominee the strategy may working the cook political report election tipsheet moved race lean republican toss wednesday citing trump popularity much district this despite comstock effort jettison trump in april former lobbyist state legislator said trump actually democrat knows nothing economy she said december plan ban muslim immigrants silly in march gave campaign donations got trump charity earlier month said trump boasts growing women revealed video tape she said would vote urged trump drop race democratic presidential nominee hillary clinton but may late undo damage political analysts said days remaining election day in normal year comstock would clear favorite right front runner status question trump said kyle kondik managing editor sabah crystal ball virginia center politics he trump gift campaign said bennett real estate executive bennett said comstock waited late campaign announce would vote trump argued comstock views immigration abortion climate change shocking similar trump asked wednesday voters view reputation trump comstock said bennett elected house would rubber stamp clinton i one two us record speaking people whether party comstock georgetown lawyer told reporters debate bennett i made clear i going stretching suburban washington shenandoah valley west virginia border comstock district home thousands government workers well many lobbyists trump might call washington the area represented republican congress since swing district presidential years bennett said democrats expect voters turn district presidential election year comstock elected election two years ago we growing latino community growing asian community communities unsettled rhetoric heard republican side fence really worried country going said kondik said this one highly educated districts country filled kinds republicans trump could well turn a recent poll wasn center public policy newport news virginia showed clinton leading trump percent percent northern virginia that suggests comstock win clinton backers need split tickets vote comstock made name congressional staffer dedicated investigating members clinton administration stephen farnsworth professor political science international affairs university mary washington fredericksburg virginia said with lead tape trump went drag comstock campaign politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Congressional race in Virginia shows Trump drag on RepublicansWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Barbara Comstock is trying to untether herself from Donald Trump in her re-election bid for the U.S. Congress, but the Virginia Republican’s struggles show how difficult that can be. Comstock represents a wealthy House of Representatives district in northern Virginia where Trump has become a burden, one that her opponent is wrapping around Comstock’s neck. In local campaign ads, Democratic challenger LuAnn Bennett takes every opportunity to tie Comstock to the New York real estate developer and Republican presidential nominee. The strategy may be working. The Cook Political Report, a non-partisan election tipsheet, moved the Comstock-Bennett race from “lean Republican” to “toss up” on Wednesday, citing Trump’s unpopularity in much of the district. This is despite Comstock’s months-long effort to jettison Trump. In April, the former lobbyist and state legislator said Trump was actually a Democrat who knows “nothing” about the economy. She said in December that his plan to ban Muslim immigrants was “un-American” and “a silly idea.” In March, she gave campaign donations she got from Trump to charity. Earlier this month, she said Trump’s boasts about groping women, revealed in a video tape, were “vile.” She said she would not vote for him and urged Trump to drop out of the race against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. But it may be too late to undo the damage, political analysts said, with just 19 days remaining until Election Day. “In a normal year, Comstock would be a clear favorite, but right now her front runner status is in question because of Trump,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the Virginia Center for Politics.     “He (Trump) was a gift” to her campaign, said Bennett, a 63-year-old real estate executive. Bennett said Comstock, 57, waited too late in her re-election campaign to announce she would not vote for Trump, and argued that Comstock’s views on immigration, abortion and climate change are “shockingly similar” to Trump’s. Asked on Wednesday about voters’ view of her repudiation of Trump, Comstock said Bennett, if elected to the House, would be a “rubber stamp” for Clinton. “I’m the only one of the two of us who ... has a record of speaking out against people, whether it’s in my own party or not,” Comstock, a Georgetown University-educated lawyer, told reporters after a debate with Bennett. “I’ve made clear that I’m going to be my own woman.” Stretching from suburban Washington to the Shenandoah valley and the West Virginia border, Comstock’s district is home to thousands of government workers, as well as many well-heeled lobbyists and what Trump might call the Washington “elites.”  The area has been represented by a Republican in Congress since 1981, but has been a swing district in presidential years. Bennett said Democrats expect about 140,000 more voters to turn out in the district in this presidential election year than when Comstock was elected in a mid-term election two years ago. “We have a growing Latino community, we have a growing Asian community, and those communities are very unsettled by the rhetoric they’ve heard on the Republican side of the fence, and really worried about where this country is going,” she said. Kondik said, “This is one of the most highly educated districts in the country, and it’s filled with the kinds of Republicans that Trump could very well turn off.” A recent poll by the Wason Center for Public Policy in Newport News, Virginia, showed Clinton leading Trump by 55 percent to 21 percent in northern Virginia. That suggests that for Comstock to win, some Clinton backers will need to “split” their tickets to vote for Comstock, who made a name for herself in the 1990s as a congressional staffer dedicated to investigating members of the Clinton administration. Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, said: “With the lewd tape, Trump went from being a drag on the Comstock campaign to an anchor.” politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: congressional race virginia shows trump drag republicanswashington reuters barbara comstock trying untether donald trump bid congress virginia republican struggles show difficult comstock represents wealthy house representatives district northern virginia trump become burden one opponent wrapping around comstock neck in local campaign ads democratic challenger lang bennett takes every opportunity tie comstock new york real estate developer republican presidential nominee the strategy may working the cook political report election tipsheet moved race lean republican toss wednesday citing trump popularity much district this despite comstock effort jettison trump in april former lobbyist state legislator said trump actually democrat knows nothing economy she said december plan ban muslim immigrants silly in march gave campaign donations got trump charity earlier month said trump boasts growing women revealed video tape she said would vote urged trump drop race democratic presidential nominee hillary clinton but may late undo damage political analysts said days remaining election day in normal year comstock would clear favorite right front runner status question trump said kyle kondik managing editor sabah crystal ball virginia center politics he trump gift campaign said bennett real estate executive bennett said comstock waited late campaign announce would vote trump argued comstock views immigration abortion climate change shocking similar trump asked wednesday voters view reputation trump comstock said bennett elected house would rubber stamp clinton i one two us record speaking people whether party comstock georgetown lawyer told reporters debate bennett i made clear i going stretching suburban washington shenandoah valley west virginia border comstock district home thousands government workers well many lobbyists trump might call washington the area represented republican congress since swing district presidential years bennett said democrats expect voters turn district presidential election year comstock elected election two years ago we growing latino community growing asian community communities unsettled rhetoric heard republican side fence really worried country going said kondik said this one highly educated districts country filled kinds republicans trump could well turn a recent poll wasn center public policy newport news virginia showed clinton leading trump percent percent northern virginia that suggests comstock win clinton backers need split tickets vote comstock made name congressional staffer dedicated investigating members clinton administration stephen farnsworth professor political science international affairs university mary washington fredericksburg virginia said with lead tape trump went drag comstock campaign politicsnews