While just about everybody expect the Democrats to hold the House otherwise the prospects for the 117th Congress may not be bright for the progressive wing of the party. Consider this piece at Politico:
The House is on track to have its thinnest majority in about two decades next year — and it could get worse for Democrats.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has so far lost seven incumbents in Tuesday’s election, and that number could increase to about a dozen as more votes are tallied in New York, California and Utah. That would leave Democrats with a razor-thin margin — and an even more emboldened GOP minority — as the party looks to govern under a potential President Joe Biden.
The most likely scenario for Democrats is a net loss of between seven to 11 seats, according to interviews with campaign officials and strategists from both parties. That toll has prompted some tense discussions within the Democratic caucus about its message, tactics and leadership, with an internal race intensifying to succeed Democratic Congressional Campaign Chair Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.).
Contrary to what some seem to believe a very narrow majority in the House does not convey more influence to the minority party but to the faction of the majority party that does not hold the leadership positions.
Here in Illinois there’s at least one undecided district: the Illinois 14th District. At this point we don’t know whether incumbent first-term Democrat Lauren Underwood or Republican challenger Jim Oberweis has been elected. Oberweis, whom I consider a manifest idiot, presently has a very narrow lead. If he’s elected Illinois will send its most conservative caucus to Washington in years.
I read two observations somewhere this morning that will probably need to be confirmed. One is that media slow-walking the Presidential announcement (just made) has had the additional effect of slowing Congressional races that are projected to go to the Republicans. Oberweis has had a 50.1% of the votes with 100% reporting for some time now.
The other is that it appears that no House Republican incumbents were defeated this election, which has to be historically anomalous in a Presidential election year, at least when an incumbent President is defeated.
Democrats picked up 2 seats in North Carolina due to court ordered redistricting.
Looks like Democrats did beat a Republican incumbent in Georgia.
@CuriousOnlooker, was it a Republican incumbent, or a seat that changed hands? There were a dozen or so empty seats in the House, for which there was no incumbent candidate.
I’ve been saying that since election day.
PD, you have a point.
GA-7 was an open Republican seat (incumbent retired).