It is looking less and less likely that the Democrats will be able to keep their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2022 midterm elections.
Breitbart reports that the number of House Democrats who, for one reason or another, are vacating their seats ahead of the midterm elections is now up to 18.
To put this number into perspective, the Republicans only need to net five seats in 2022 to regain the majority in the House. It is looking more and more like Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) days as House Speaker are numbered.
The latest
The latest House Democrat to announce that he is leaving the House is Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY). Suozzi said that he is doing so in order to enter New York’s gubernatorial race.
“I am running for Governor of NY as a common-sense Democrat who gets things done,” Suozzi said. “I have the track record, common-sense approach to governing & bold new vision to get it done. I can do it, because I’ve done it!”
New York’s gubernatorial race is already heavily crowded, and so, Suozzi’s entrance into it might suggest that he fancies his chances there compared to his chances of being reelected in the House, which is saying something.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) had, earlier this month, put Suozzi on an “exit list,” indicating that they believe that his seat is vulnerable. Suozzi has been representing a mostly suburban district, and, for those unfamiliar with him, he is one of those House Democrats who has voted with Pelosi on every major issue.
Reports are now suggesting that the Democrats will have a hard time holding onto Suozzi’s seat. We’ll see.
Background
Like Suozzi, the other 17 House Democrats who have decided not to seek reelection have done so, at least in part, because their seats are vulnerable.
Besides Suozzi, there are ten House Democrats who have announced that they are retiring from the House after the current term. They are Reps. Filemon Vela (D-TX), Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ), Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Ron Kind (D-WI), John Yarmuth (D-KY), David Price (D-NC), Mike Doyle (D-PA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX).
And, there are seven House Democrats who are seeking a different office after their current terms. They are Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Charlie Crist (D-FL), Val Demings (D-FL), Conor Lamb (D-PA), Karen Bass (D-CA), Anthony Brown (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT).
These Democrats’ decisions to move on from the House come as poll after poll suggests that the Republicans will retake Congress in 2022. The Red Wave of 2022 sure seems to be shaping up.
The post Speaker Pelosi loses another House Dem ahead of the 2022 midterms, bringing the tally to 18 first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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