DCCC Chairman Steve Israel released the following statement on the midterm elections:
“I won’t sugarcoat it – we always knew tonight would be a challenging night, and it was for Democrats at every level. But as tough as tonight was, we did everything in our control to narrow the Republicans’ pick-up opportunities and limit their chance to take advantage of the wave. As Democrats lost the Senate and an avalanche of outside spending was directed late at the House, we protected Democrats in swing seats from Florida to Illinois to California and at least one Republican-held seat. In short, it could have been worse. Without the hard work of the members of the caucus and the DCCC, Republicans might have reached the 29 seat gain typically won in a second-term midterm.
“As a Mets fan, I’ve learned to look on the bright side – and we have a strong Democratic Caucus who will come to Congress next year focused on strengthening the middle class and working together on commonsense solutions.
“For years Republicans have been blaming President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. Now that they control Congress, they have no one left to blame. It’s time for them to prove they can produce results for America’s middle class.”