House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) warned House Democrats on Wednesday, after Republicans scored a huge victory in Virginia, that they could lose a massive number of seats next year.
As reported by The Washington Post, “House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) predicted Wednesday that Democrats could lose as many seats in next year’s midterm elections as they did the last time Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) lost her speakership.”
As a result of the elections of 2010, House Democrats lost 63 seats.
“It could be more competitive this time,” McCarthy said at a press conference on Capitol Hill.
As The Washington Post noted, Biden won New Jersey by over 16 points last year. But as the election returns rolled in Tuesday, the Republican challenger and the Democratic incumbent governor were neck and neck, with the Democrat only taking a narrow lead later on.
“If you’re a Democrat and President Biden won your seat by 16 points, you’re in a competitive race next year,” McCarthy told reporters. “You are no longer safe,”
“It’ll be more than 70 [seats] that will be competitive. There’s many that are going to lose their races based upon walking off a cliff from Nancy Pelosi pushing them,” he continued. “She may not care if she lose. She lost 63 the last time she was Speaker moving policy that the country didn’t care for.”
“Many believe she won’t stay around” in Congress, McCarthy said. Addressing Democrats, he noted, “So she’s not going to be there to defend you.”
He also commented on Biden’s social agenda, reportedly stating that the defeat of Democrats on election night is a “wake-up call for Washington to abandon the partisanship, the extremist agenda of Washington-based program that costs trillions of dollars.”
“Are you going to bring President Biden with his policies into your district to defend you? Are you going to bring the vice president? Terry McAuliffe did, and look what happened to him,” McCarthy cautioned.
“What I do believe is if they continue to push these policies, it could be one of the biggest election losses for Democrats. … When she [Pelosi] was Speaker last time, losing 63 set a record, but it could be more competitive this time.”
The Republican win in Virginia, and the close governor race in New Jersey, set up potential frameworks for Republicans as they head into the midterm elections next year. The win is significant for the GOP and has led many to look promisingly towards 2022.
As The Daily Wire reported:
In Virginia, Republican Glenn Youngkin knocked off Democrat Terry McAuliffe for governor, upsetting the former governor of Virginia who was an early favorite to retake the office. Youngkin’s victory was joined by Republican Winsome Sears, who defeated Democrat Hala Ayala for lieutenant governor, and Republican Jason Miyares, who upset incumbent Democrat Mark Herring for attorney general.
In New Jersey, GOP gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli is running neck-and-neck with Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. The close race is a surprise in itself even if Ciattarelli eventually loses as the final ballots are counted. With about 88% of the vote on Wednesday morning, Ciattarelli led Murphy by just over 1,000 votes.
“Needless to say, tonight’s results are consistent w/ a political environment in which Republicans would comfortably take back both the House and Senate in 2022,” tweeted Dave Wasserman, the Cook Political Report’s House editor.
Needless to say, tonight's results are consistent w/ a political environment in which Republicans would comfortably take back both the House and Senate in 2022.
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) November 3, 2021