A spokesperson for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she would “address her future plans” on Thursday after Republicans are projected to win a slim majority in the House of Representatives.
“@SpeakerPelosi has been overwhelmed by calls from colleagues, friends and supporters. This evening, the Speaker monitored returns in the three remaining critical states. The Speaker plans to address her future plans tomorrow to her colleagues. Stay tuned,” Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill wrote Wednesday night on Twitter.
The announcement comes after a better-than-expected performance for Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections. Though pre-election polling and punditry suggested that a “red wave” would sweep Republicans into power in both houses of Congress, Democrats were able to prevail in several high-profile Senate contests to keep control of that chamber, and Republicans are projected to win only a slim majority in the House.
Currently, Democrats are projected to hold 50 seats in the Senate (with Vice President Kamala Harris providing a tie-breaking vote), while the GOP is predicted to have a majority in the House, according to Decision Desk HQ. Several House races remain uncalled, and a runoff between incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican candidate Herschel Walker for Georgia’s Senate seat will take place in December.
“This year, House Democrats defied expectations with an excellent performance: running their races with courage, optimism and determination. In the next Congress, House Democrats will continue to play a leading role in supporting President Biden’s agenda — with strong leverage over a scant Republican majority,” Pelosi said in a press release Wednesday.
Several younger Democrats in the House, including New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, have aspirations of replacing Pelosi as the top Democrat in the chamber, according to Politico. However, President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have both asked Pelosi to stay in leadership after the midterm election results, the outlet noted.
Republican leaders in both the House and Senate were able to hold onto their positions after the party’s lackluster midterm performance. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy won the Republican nomination for House Speaker on Tuesday, beating challenger Andy Biggs (R-AZ) in a 188-31 vote.
Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell was re-elected Wednesday despite a challenge from Florida Sen. Rick Scott. The vote was 37 for McConnell and 10 for Scott, according to CNN.
The speaker has said that the attack on her husband last month at their San Francisco home would influence her decision on whether to stay in a leadership position.
“I have to say my decision will be affected about what happened the last week or two,” Pelosi told CNN’s Anderson Cooper during an interview soon after the attack happened.
Nancy’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was hospitalized in late October after a man broke into their home and attacked him with a hammer. The attacker reportedly asked, “Where’s Nancy?” multiple times and told police he was “waiting for Nancy” when they arrived on the scene. The suspect, David DePape, allegedly attacked Paul in full view of the police and has been charged with attempted kidnapping of a federal official as well as assault of an immediate family member of a federal official, among others, according to CNN.
