Final answer:
Incumbents might deemphasize their policy positions during re-election campaigns to leverage the incumbency advantage, focusing on their name recognition and previous electoral success rather than potentially divisive policy details.
Step-by-step explanation:
Incumbents may want to deemphasize their policy positions during a reelection campaign for several reasons. They are motivated by the incumbency advantage, which means they are already known by voters and have had prior electoral success. Fence-mending activities can help counterbalance unpopular decisions by enabling incumbents to realign with voter preferences. This is because voters not only consider local issues and how national policies affect them personally but may also be less partisan and more interested in the individual candidate.
Furthermore, given that public opinion affects the re-election chances of senators and the fact that voters can be more familiar with incumbents due to their frequent media exposure, deemphasizing policies might be a strategic move. During reelection campaigns, incumbents might strategically focus on their visibility and familiarity rather than specific policy stances, which can potentially alienate swaths of the electorate amidst shifting public sensibilities.