Report: Democrats Will Have a ‘Bumpy’ Midterms

The Democrats are going to have a hard time in the 2022 midterm elections, trying to protect their majority, according to Punchbowl News.

The news outlet’s Special Edition newsletter on Wednesday indicated the midterms will be “quite bumpy” for the Democrats, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is having a hard time trying to deliver a major win for her party to use as a talking point to keep the House of Representatives.

The report noted that Pelosi, while suggesting that this will be her last Congress as the top Democrat in charge, she has yet to make any official announcement on retiring and does not want to be a “lame duck” Speaker after the midterms next year. However, she has yet to pass anything substantial. “Pelosi needs a big win on reconciliation to help buttress her vulnerable members,” the report noted.

On the Republican side, Punchbowl noted that the “one thing political pundits seem to agree on this cycle, it’s this — House Republicans will win the majority in Nov. 2022.” In doing so, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is also favored to become the 55th Speaker of the House.

The report indicated that McCarthy’s goal is to keep branding the Democrats’ partisan $3.5 trillion reconciliation package as what will continue to happen in Washington while it continues to be under one-party rule. The report added:

Republicans tell us they believe the spending argument is more effective than running against an increase in the corporate tax rate, which is broadly popular with the American public. GOP insiders tell us McCarthy has a simple political argument to make right now — Democrats are spending too much and taxing too much. But House Republicans have shown an uncanny ability to complicate straightforward political tasks, so don’t underestimate their ability to screw this up.

Leading up to the midterms, McCarthy has been raising piles of money. Punchbowl believes this will be one of the key components in winning back the House.

The report added, “Much of [McCarthy’s] 2022 will be focused on keeping the party coffers full and helping usher candidates to Election Day. If House Republicans do, the personal stakes will then become incredibly high for McCarthy.”

However, while Pelosi is trying to deliver a big win for her party, a recent poll from the American Action Network found that President Joe Biden’s approval ratings have dropped in seven key congressional districts that can define the House in the midterms.

The poll also found that the majority of Americans in the battleground districts are unhappy with Biden’s socialist “Build Back Better” agenda and the $3.5 trillion partisan wish list Pelosi is trying to pass and declare a major win for herself and her party.

Additionally, the generic Republican on the ballot also leads in all seven districts against the Democrat incumbent by six percent on average.

Follow Jacob Bliss on Twitter @jacobmbliss.