(FiveNation.com)- House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) early-morning election night party was dampened by the fading chances of a significant red wave in the House.
At little before 2 a.m., an hour after the event was supposed to end, McCarthy, who is aiming to be Speaker under a GOP majority, ventured over from a nearby House GOP party.
Despite no race analysts picking Republicans to win the lower chamber, he expressed confidence that Republicans will take control of the House due to the midterm elections.
At his election night party in downtown Washington, D.C., McCarthy told a gathering of supporters, “When you wake up tomorrow, we will be in the majority, and Nancy Pelosi will be in the minority.”
McCarthy cited seats that Republicans are predicted to win in Texas and Virginia as evidence that the House GOP would build on advances made two years ago when Republicans gained more than a dozen seats despite predictions that Democrats would gain seats.
We are going to regain control of the House, McCarthy declared.
Republicans’ staff members highlighted that Democrats were expected to win reelection in competitive contests, including that of Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), earlier in the evening.
Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, and Tom Emmer, the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee (R-Minn.), who aspires to be the House Majority Whip if the GOP takes control of the chamber, joined McCarthy on stage. Both did not make a statement.
The only other Republican in the House was Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who was in town for a court appearance on Wednesday on a challenge to fines related to the House’s pandemic-era mask mandate rule rather than the election night party.
Massie has a history of opposing the House GOP’s top brass. However, he did not predict a challenge to McCarthy based on what might be a less significant majority than expected.
Massie claimed I participated in all three coups against John Boehner, the former House GOP speaker. “I would probably be invited if there were any coups.”
