RNC: Lack of Blue Wave Means House Dem Majority Needs to Work with Trump

WASHINGTON — Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel said Democratic gains weren’t as bad as they could have been and that the margins mean Dems have to join hands to work with President Trump.

The GOP currently holds 235 seats in the House of Representatives, with 218 needed for the majority. Democrats are forecast to end the night with about 230 seats.

Republicans keep control of the Senate with at least 52 seats and a few races still outstanding.

“Grassroots enthusiasm for President Trump, who did more than any president in history to support Republican candidates, and the Republican Party’s expansive get-out-the-vote operation, turned the forecasted Democrat tsunami into a ripple,” McDaniel said in a statement. “With gains in the Senate, Republicans defied history, an achievement reached only four times in history.”

“Despite record House retirements and massive Democrat candidate fundraising advantages, Republicans stand in a stronger position than nearly anyone predicted,” she added. “Democrats must now come to the table to work with President Trump and Republicans to keep our economy strong, secure our borders, and continue to move the country in the right direction.”

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said in an email to supporters that the House victory “was not a given, not by a long shot.”

“There were hills to climb and obstacles at almost every turn. It would have been easier to give up,” he said. “Instead, we fought for every single vote, in every single state. We invested over $30 million directly into state parties and campaigns, rebuilt our ground game by hiring organizers across the country, and talked to each and every voter about what we believe this country can be.”

Perez said Democrats “didn’t just take back the House” but “elected a historic slate of women, people of color, veterans, and members of the LGBTQ community.”

“These leaders have changed the face of our party, and now they will change the face of our government,” he added. “That’s progress in the truest sense of the word.”