For Democrats across the country, the last hope lies in the House of Representatives.
The party, as expected, lost its Senate majority on Tuesday. And by early Wednesday morning, Policy Desk Headquarters predicted that former President Trump would secure the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, defeat Vice President Harris, and return to the White House for a second term next year. .
Only the House of Representatives remains unresolved, and the race there represents Democrats' last chance to control the levers of power in Washington and push back against the second Trump administration.
The move is a dynamic that did not go unnoticed by Democrats, who were disappointed in their party's performance and watched anxiously for signs that all was not lost.
“From a power trinity perspective, the only hope for Democrats to keep an out-of-control Donald Trump in check is the House,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), a 15-year veteran of the House. spoke. he told The Hill in an interview early Wednesday morning.
“Tonight's results are tough for the country, offering those who believe in constitutional democracy the only hope for a Democratic Party in the White House and a possible Republican Senate,” he continued. “So a lot depends on the district-by-district results tonight.”
Democrats have found some bright spots toward that goal.
They defeated at least two incumbent Republicans in New York, Rep. Mark Molinaro and Rep. Brandon Williams, respectively, and appear on track to defeat Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, according to the Associated Press and Decision Desk headquarters. Ta.
As of early Wednesday morning, Democratic Sen. Tony Vargas of Nebraska held an advantage over Republican Rep. Don Bacon, who has been on the target list for nearly a decade. In Oregon, Democratic challenger Janelle Bynum leads first-term Republican Rep. Lori Chavez Delemer, making her one of the Republicans' best pickup chances. And in Washington, Democratic Rep. Marie Grusenkamp Perez was in a better position than her Republican opponent for the seat that Republicans had worked so hard to win back.
Democrats maintained control of open seats in Virginia that Republicans had hoped to flip, including Democratic Reps. Pat Ryan of New York, Don Davis of North Carolina, and Gabe Vasquez of North Carolina. Some of the most vulnerable incumbents, such as Reps. New Mexico.
But there were some bright spots for Republicans. Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) fended off a stiff challenge and Republican Tom Barrett flipped the Michigan seat vacated by Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin.
Republicans have leads over Democratic incumbents in several key races in Pennsylvania, with U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright chasing Republican challenger Rob Bresnahan and Republican state Sen. Ryan McKenzie. had an advantage over Representative Susan Wild (D).
Dozens of competitive races have yet to be called, including a handful in California that could take weeks to resolve.
Democrats need to win at least a net four seats to gain a majority in the House.
Connolly, who was re-elected by more than 33 percentage points on Tuesday, said he was neither optimistic nor pessimistic about Democrats' chances of winning the chamber, acknowledging that both parties have a path to a majority. .
“I'm neither,” he said. “I'm full of anxiety and anticipation.”
“The fight for the House of Commons, the House of Representatives, has always been a battle of mathematics on the ground,” he continued. “There is no tide in the House race. So this is a district-by-district battle.”
However, President Trump declared victory for the House Republicans. In his victory speech in West Palm Beach, Fla., early Wednesday morning, the president-elect predicted he would win a House Republican majority in Washington alongside him next year.
“We will maintain the majority in the House,” Trump said. “And I want to thank you. [Speaker] Mike Johnson. I think he's doing a great job. ”
Other Republicans tempered their expectations.
Dan Conston, head of the Congressional Leadership Fund, a major super PAC that works with House Republican leadership, said: “I haven't made any declarations and there's not a lot that's coming out, but I think I'm more important than they are in the House.'' We are better off,” he said. .
Another Republican strategist familiar with House races agreed.
“We're confident we'll maintain the House majority when all is said and done, and we still see a path to winning seats,” the Republican strategist said. “There is more to come, but what we are seeing is encouraging.”
Depending on the race, it could even lead to recounts and legal battles. But until then, we may see a variety of attitudes.
The campaign of Rep. Marinette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), who was first elected by just six votes in the 2020 election, claimed victory early Wednesday despite not announcing her candidacy due to the extremely close race. He announced that he had received 400 votes. Thanks to lead, they could be “confident of a positive result when every vote is counted.”
