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Tag: Lower House

  • Nancy Pelosi steps down as leader of House Democrats after two decades

    Nancy Pelosi steps down as leader of House Democrats after two decades

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    Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday said she will no longer serve as the top Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, with her departure coming after her party lost its majority in the chamber in this month’s midterm elections.

    “With great confidence in our caucus, I will not seek re-election to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” Pelosi said during a speech on the House floor.

    “For me, the hour’s come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect, and I’m grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility.”

    She said she will continue to represent her district in the House.

    Some Democratic lawmakers have long called for new leadership in the House, wanting the California Democrat and her deputies to make way for the next generation. Pelosi, 82, has led the chamber’s Democrats in both the majority and minority for about two decades — since January 2003.

    The No. 2 House Democrat, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who is 83, announced Thursday that he also will not seek a leadership position next year. 

    New York Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, 52, is seen as a frontrunner to become House minority leader.  

    Pelosi is the country’s first female speaker and has been in Congress for about 35 years. She had made a deal with House members to serve for two more terms as leader — or four years — after Democrats scored a majority in that chamber of Congress in the 2018 midterms.

    Pelosi said earlier this month that family issues would be key in her decision about her future plans. Her husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked by an intruder in their San Francisco home last month and faces a long recovery from his injuries.

    While Republican hopes for a strong red wave on Election Day — which was Nov. 8 — have been dashed, the Associated Press projected Wednesday that the GOP had won enough House seats to control that chamber of Congress.

    The GOP’s slim majority is expected to cause trouble for the party’s leaders in the House. Meanwhile, the battle for control of the U.S. Senate went to the Democrats late Saturday. 

    The major laws passed during Pelosi’s time as speaker have included 2010’s Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare and which overhauled the U.S. healthcare
    XLV,
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    system; 2010’s Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that targeted banks
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    ; and 2021’s Infrastructure
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    Investment and Jobs Act.

    U.S. stocks
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    DJIA,
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    lost ground Thursday as a key Federal Reserve official suggested interest rates may need to rise much further in order to subdue inflation.

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  • Here are the House seats that have flipped in the midterm elections

    Here are the House seats that have flipped in the midterm elections

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    Republicans need to flip just five seats during Tuesday’s midterm elections in order to win majority control of the House of Representatives and would need to net one Senate seat to overcome Democrats’ marginal 50-seat majority in the Senate.

    Republicans have better odds of winning both chambers than Democrats, though their odds are higher on the House side. As of Tuesday morning, FiveThirtyEight placed Republicans’ odds of taking majority control of the Senate at 59 in 100 and the party’s odds in the House at 84 in 100.

    Read: Republicans have over 70% chance of winning Senate in midterm elections, betting markets say

    As the Associated Press calls results nationwide, follow along for updates on which seats are flipping.

    Florida

    The first congressional seats to flip were in Florida, where Republican Anna Paulina Luna defeated Democratic candidate Eric Lynn by 8.6-points (with 99% of results reported). The since-redrawn district was represented by Democrat Charlie Crist, who left the office to launch an unsuccessful challenge against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

    A second seat flipped in the state’s is the 7th District, where Republican Cory Mills came out on top with 58.5% of the vote. The district, previously represented by Democrat Stephanie Murphy, was redrawn to be solidly red.

    Virginia

    Republican Jen Kiggans ousted Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria in Virginia’s 2nd congressional district. Luria’s seat was one of two Virginia seats deemed “toss-ups” by the Cook Political Report. With 73% of the results reported, Kiggans had received 55% of the vote.

    The other incumbent in a toss-up race, Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, secured re-election with about 52% of the vote.

    Tennessee

    Republican Andy Ogles has won election to Tennessee’s 5th congressional district, the AP called shortly after midnight. He received about 56% of the vote, with 97% reported.

    Ogles will replace retiring Democrat Jim Cooper, who decided not to seek re-election following redistricting that shifted the district from a solid Democratic district to “likely” Republican, according to Cook Political Report.

    North Carolina

    Democrat Wiley Nickel defeated Republican Bo Hines in North Carolina’s 13th congressional district with 51.3% of the vote. The state senator’s win marks the first pick-up for Democrats.

    The race was rated as a “toss-up” by CPR following Republican Rep. Ted Budd’s decision to leave the House to run for the open Senate seat in North Carolina. The AP has called the Senate race for Budd.

    Texas

    Two-term Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez defeated Republican Mayra Flores, who won a special election in June to replace Democratic Filemon Vela Jr., who left Congress to work at a lobbying firm. The two incumbents were set to square off following redistricting. Gonzalez picked up just under 53% of the vote, compared to Flores’ 44%.

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