Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki admitted on “Craig Melvin Reports” Monday that Republicans have advantages in the upcoming midterm elections.
The former press secretary said congressional Democrats are at a disadvantage due to the narrow five seat margin, retirements and a lack of resources in the House races. She expressed hope that the party can hold onto a majority in the Senate.
“A good night is holding at least one house of Congress. An amazing night would be holding the Senate and the House,” Psaki said. “But clearly, the pathway to holding the Senate is an easier pathway for Democrats than holding the House, because in the House, they only have a five seat margin to lose. That’s very narrow. And a lot of their challenges right now are the number of retirements, the number of resources they have, and that gives Republicans, in addition to all of the headwinds that Charlie talked about, some advantages in that area. But keeping the Senate would be a huge victory for Democrats on election night.”
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On average, Republicans have held a firm lead on a potential electoral victory in several polls conducted throughout 2022. The party currently holds a near 3% average lead, standing at 48%-45%, against Democrats in the generic ballot for Congress, according to a RealClearPolitics average. (RELATED: Psaki Says ‘Democrats Will Lose’ If Midterms Are Referendum On Biden)
Another recent poll, conducted by Rasmussen, found that 48% of voters would vote Republican if the election were currently held. The poll The poll was conducted on Oct. 9 through Oct. 13 and has a margin of sampling error of +/-2 percentage points.
Inflation has remained the key issues expected to play a prominent role in the elections, in which a majority of voters surveyed in a wide variety of polls have considered to be a “very important” indicator for when they head to the voting booth. Psaki said that Democrats are attempting to run on the message that they have a more effective plan than Republicans in tacking the rising costs on American families.
“Look, on inflation, it’s a global issue, it’s happening around the world,” Psaki said. “I think there’s not a lot Democrats could have done to change that reality. What you are seeing, people like [former President] Barack Obama and [President] Joe Biden do, is really try to make this about a choice and not a referendum on President Biden. You heard him say almost exactly that when he was answering questions over the weekend. If we’re looking back and the Democrats can’t hold the Senate, that’ll be a question: should they have hardened that and have been tougher on that earlier?”
“But right now, I think that’s their closing argument,” she continued. “It’s about we know inflation’s an issue, we know your costs are too high. But who has a better plan? We have a better plan, so give us a chance to have more time. And we’ll have to see if that works or not.”
Republicans have gained support among Independent, Hispanic and black voters who consider inflation and the economy to be the most consequential issue in the elections. A USA Today/Suffolk University poll found that 40% percent of Hispanic and 21% of black voters said they are voting for a Republican based on the current economic situation.