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Kevin McCarthy postponed his victory address to the Republicans’ expectedly happy celebration till Wednesday morning at two in the morning. At that point, a significant portion of the attendees had already left. The GOP leader also spoke briefly since he still need confirmation that his party had won the House. McCarthy told a ballroom that had emptied out in the early hours of the morning, “When you wake up tomorrow, we will be in the majority and Nancy Pelosi will be in the minority.”
McCarthy had anticipated that the GOP would gain more than 60 seats in the house in a historic red wave a year prior. Republicans were anticipating dozens of House seats to flip in their favor after a campaign that focused on the economy and President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings, even though that was before Roe v. Wade was overturned.
On election night, those dreams were slowly dashed, but party leaders were quick to stress out that there was still cause for joy. Although there is still a chance for both parties to win control of the Senate, the GOP’s chances of doing so have diminished. Dems’ control of the House remains precarious.
McCarthy on possible impeachment proceedings in 2023: nothing is being ruled out at this time, should GOP win House.
“That doesn’t mean if something rises to the occasion, it would not be used at any other time.”https://t.co/LszigdFUYo
— Robert Costa (@costareports) November 7, 2022
Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, and Wisconsin are four crucial states that will determine which party controls the Senate. Moreover, there are 10 races that will influence how many Americans may receive abortions. McCarthy asserted that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) lost his contest and would be the first Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair to be removed in 40 years and that Republican candidate Anthony D’Esposito had won his seat in New York.
McCarthy was flanked by RNC chair Ronna McDaniel and House GOP campaign arm chief Tom Emmer (R-Minn.). Both races are uncalled. The dull event fell short of what Republicans had hoped for in a victory. Around 9 p.m., GOP staffers and lobbyists flocked to various open bars strewn throughout the downstairs ballroom of the Westin Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C., eagerly anticipating election results to begin trickling in from TVs set to Fox News.
The gathering watched as competitive races began, with varying results, but there was little applause in the minutes before McCarthy’s debut. Hours after Republicans began to admit they wouldn’t get their red tsunami, a woman cried out in shock as Fox News broadcast John Fetterman defeating Mehmet Oz in the Pennsylvania Senate race.
Here’s how tomorrow is going to go:
If Democrats win, “the election was rigged.”
If Republicans win, the election was a “red wave.”
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 7, 2022
Republicans had targeted a handful of seats that had either already been declared for Democrats or appeared to be in their favor. One of them was Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), who defeated GOP contender Yesli Vega in one of the Commonwealth’s most difficult contests.
The defeat of GOP candidate Allan Fung by Democrat Seth Magaziner also ended GOP aspirations of changing a district in the solidly Democratic state of Rhode Island. Early on Wednesday in North Carolina, Wiley Nickel was ahead of GOP contender Bo Hines, despite the fact that the outcome had not yet been declared.
Despite the fact that Democrats continued to hold some territory, some House Republicans maintained a positive public attitude. After midnight, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) told reporters he was “just as pleased with a narrow majority.” Then he explained how his small margin of victory would help him while hurting McCarthy and other Republican leaders.
“I mean, look at what the decisive vote in the Senate, Joe Manchin, has done, right? The Massie Caucus should be important, please. My caucus has one member in the event of a one-seat majority. It’s me. Since they have 218 seats and the ability to summon witnesses, Massie remarked, “I can decide whether a bill succeeds or not. “If you’re looking for someone who’s devastated that we don’t have a 40-seat majority, I’d be the wrong guy,” I said.
Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), who showed up in the early hours, was the only other GOP member present at the premier GOP election-night party in Washington besides Massie. Before McCarthy took the stage, which was inscribed with the words “TAKE BACK THE HOUSE,” the ballroom was mostly quiet and the guests were few or dispersed. The organizers were trying to figure out how to make sure that attendees would still have access to drinks until 1 a.m., but it appears that they hadn’t anticipated such a late night.
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