Most pre-election forecasts were certain that Republicans would lose ground in the House of Representatives, but as of this moment, it is not impossible that Republicans might take the House right now. They elected a record number of GOP women candidates. (Incidentally, Republicans did well in state legislative races around the country, and didn’t lose control of a single chamber.)
The GOP has gained about 10 House seats so far, and is currently leading in about 20-25 more. (I’m not keeping up with the moment-by-moment counts in any of these races.) Not all of these leads are expected to hold up, but Speaker Pelosi is going to have a very slim majority come January, and may even face a leadership challenge.
Today Washington Post congressional reporter Erica Werner listened in on a conference call of Democratic House members, and members of the Dem caucus are upset. Rep. Spanberger of Virginia, who barely held on, is among the less-than-fully-gruntled:
But I thought “democracy dies in darkness,” Rep. Huffman?
There does not seem to be much introspection going on yet among Democrats, though I’ll write separately about the civil war erupting on the left over identity politics, just as soon as I pop my next barrel of popcorn. More typical of what Democrats are doing right now is expressed in this Politico headline of a John Harris story:
Here is an uncomfortable reality for [Democrats] . . . Trump is on track to grow his popular vote total by millions of people, not one of whom could have been under any illusions about what they were voting for. Unlike 2016, there is no way to dismiss this as a flukish accident of democracy, or an illegitimate manipulation of democracy. His support was a robust expression of democracy. . . More discomfort: This was a bravura political achievement. . .
Yeah, but for Democrats blaming the voters is so much more satisfying.
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