The Republican Party’s recent successes made Democrats dread a possible GOP takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022, Politico reported Wednesday.
Former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman and New York Rep. Steve Israel drew parallels between the midterm election of 2010 — when Democrats lost more than 60 seats in the House — and the recent flipping of Virginia, once a blue stronghold, according to Politico.
“This is 2009 all over again,” Israel said. “The only benefit they [Democrats] have now over 2009 is knowing just how bad it can get.”
NEW: House Dems agonize over a suburban collapse ahead of 2022
“This is 2009 all over again”
“There were clear warning signs in 2020 that simply tying a candidate to Trump doesn’t work”
“There’s no excuse for not being able to deliver”
w @ec_schneider https://t.co/E82ThAFam4
— Ally Mutnick (@allymutnick) November 4, 2021
The Democratic Party’s support in the suburbs of Virginia — which in large part enabled the “blue wave” in the 2018 midterm election and President Joe Biden‘s 10-point margin in 2020 — has faded away. Republican Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin turned out to have captured northern counties that were previously dominated by Democrats, according to Politico.
“If Democrats can’t reclaim those suburban voters, I don’t see a path to keeping the majority, plain and simple,” Israel said.
The former New York rep. then claimed that restoring the suburban support of the Democratic party could only be done “by talking about those issues that those voters are discussing at their kitchen table,” such as parental concern regarding public education. (RELATED: Biden On Virginia Election Results: ‘People Want Us To Get Things Done’)
“What happens in Virginia will in large part determine what happens in 2022, 2024, and on,” Vice President Kamala Harris said, campaigning for Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe on Oct. 29.