House Democrats are losing sleep that the looming midterm elections could be a wipeout, and will grant Republicans firm control of the chamber, insiders on both sides of the aisles told The Post.
“If we don’t fix things now, we will get mauled in November,” said one battleground Democratic member of Congress. “Anyone in a tough district knows it. The rest have their head stuck in the sand.”
He said inflation, spiraling urban crime, and supply-chain shortages are key issues Dems need to turn around.
Democrats control the White House, Senate and House, but the margins are paper thin. The Senate is divided 50-50 and the party clings to a mere 10-seat advantage in the House. The GOP would need to flip six seats this November to grab the majority.
A November poll by Punchbowl news found that 76% of Democratic Hill staffers believe the party will lose the House this year. Some polls show President Biden’s approval ratings in the low 30s.
“I think the midterms are going to be bad for Democrats,” said pollster Carly Cooperman. “Biden’s job approval continues to grow increasingly negative and he has negative ratings on the economy and his handling of the pandemic.”
Multiple Democratic staffers confirmed the situation seems grim and goes beyond the normal historical headwinds that typically beset a president’s party during midterms.
“[Biden] was elected on a mandate to end the pandemic and restore normalcy,” said one.
House retirements also complicate matters for the left. Twenty-nine Democrats have announced their intention to not run for reelection, compared to just 14 Republicans.
Lefty warhorses who have vowed to hang around have been rocked by staff departures — an ominous signal, pundits said. Manhattan Rep. Jerry Nadler — who has held his Upper West Side district since 1992 — recently lost both his legislative director and a top attorney on the House Judiciary Committee.
“Democrats are retiring in droves because they know their majority is doomed,” Mike Berg, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said.