There may be more than a few empty seats at this year's Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.

At least three Democratic senators and eight members of the House of Representatives facing tough reelection challenges have opted out of attending this year's convention, which will be held during the week of Sept. 3. Most of the elected officials who have decided to forgo the convention represent so-called "purple" states where President Barack Obama is not popular, such as West Virginia, Utah, Montana and Missouri.

Whether it is because they want to avoid the perceived "stain" of ObamaCare or placate some of their socially conservative constituents, the following is a list of Democratic lawmakers who have decided to distance themselves from Obama on what is arguably the highest-profile event hosted by the nation's Democratic leadership.

There may be more than a few empty seats at this year’s Democratic National Convention in North Carolina.

At least three Democratic senators and eight members of the House of Representatives facing tough reelection challenges have opted out of attending this year’s convention, which will be held during the week of Sept. 3. Most of the elected officials who have decided to forgo the convention represent so-called “purple” states where President Barack Obama is not popular, such as West Virginia, Utah, Montana and Missouri.

Whether it is because they want to avoid the perceived “stain” of ObamaCare or placate some of their socially conservative constituents, the following is a list of Democratic lawmakers who have decided to distance themselves from Obama on what is arguably the highest-profile event hosted by the nation’s Democratic leadership.

Three Democrats from West Virginia -- first-term Sen. Joe Manchin, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Rep. Nick Rahall -- announced they will not join the rest of their state's delegation at this year's DNC.

It's not surprising. Obama -- and particularly his stance against the construction of the Keystone pipeline, is extremely unpopular in the coal-rich state. In fact, earlier this year, the president lost 41 percent of the West Virginia primary vote to a convicted felon, who campaigned on his opposition to Obama's health care overhaul law.

Manchin has previously said he's questioning whether he'll vote for Obama in November. In a statement explaining his reason to skip out on the DNC, Manchin said he will instead spend that time in West Virginia and will "remain focused on bringing people together for the next generation, not the next election."

Although McCaskill was an early endorser of Obama in 2008, she represents a state that does not have much love for the president -- according to a January Gallup poll, Obama's approval rating in Missouri was at just 39 percent.

But while some may believe McCaskill's love for Obama has cooled, last week the senator indicated that is far from the case.

"Whole lot of nothing over me campaigning w/ Mo folks instead of going to convention w/ party honchos. Bet POTUS agrees with my decision," McCaskill wrote on her Twitter page.

Rep. Jim Matheson may be a Democrat, but the Utah congressman currently represents a more Republican-friendly district than most of his Democratic colleagues.

Matheson, who was left with a GOP-leaning constituency as a result of an unfavorable redistricting process, is facing a tough enough reelection without further associating himself with President Barack Obama.
Of course, he hasn’t actually said that. In a June statement to the Daily, Matheson said he will spend his time campaigning in Utah rather than traveling to North Carolina in September.

"I'll be spending my time this summer and fall doing my job in Congress and visiting with and listening to people in Utah," Matheson said

Sen. Jon Tester is another extremely vulnerable Democratic incumbent who has stressed his own independence from the party in his reelection campaign.

Tester’s reelection advertisements have focused on topics palatable for both Democrats and Republicans in his state: emphasizing his roots in the farming community, his work on Veterans Affairs legislation and his vote against the Dream Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

Tester announced he was staying clear of the Democratic National Convention shortly after Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg of Montana, who has also attempted to stay clear of partisan squabbles in the House, said he would skip his party’s convention this year.

Congressman Critz, who has been a strong critic of President Obama, also said he would focus on campaigning in Pennsylvania rather than travel to North Carolina in September.

"Since I was elected, my focus has been on creating jobs for people here, rather than focusing on the agendas of the political parties in Washington," Critz said in June, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Both Hochul and Owens won seats in upstate New York in special election races heralded by Democratic leaders. But the congressmen are apparently too busy in their own districts to go rushing off to North Carolina in September.

Hochul has said her time will be better spent "meeting the farmers, small business owners and other people" who elected her into office. Meanwhile, in June, a spokesperson for Owens simply told the Daily the congressman's schedule was too packed to make it.

Even more Democrats may stay clear of the DNC -- and why not? After all, they have the support of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Pelosi recently told Politico she is actually encouraging Democrats to stay home and campaign instead of traveling to the convention. Because President Obama is an incumbent candidate, she said there is less of a need for Democrats to show up in full force.

“I’m not encouraging anyone to go to the convention, having nothing to do with anything except I think they should stay home, campaign in their districts, use their financial and political resources to help them win their election," Pelosi said.