'Got our a--es kicked': Dems privately fret about losing House after GOP victory in White House, Senate

'I think it comes down to the economy,' one Democratic source told Fox News Digital

Speaker Johnson bullish on GOP holding House

Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on the fight for Congressional control in the 2024 election.

Democrats are growing increasingly concerned that they will narrowly lose the House of Representatives after Republican victories in the Senate and White House.

The balance of power in the House is expected to run razor-thin no matter who wins, but sources who spoke with Fox News Digital worry the Democrats' path is narrowing.

"We're almost certainly going to lose the House by a narrow margin," a senior House Democratic aide told Fox News Digital. "We got our a--es kicked."

The House aide found optimism, however, in Republicans' comparatively decisive victories in the upper chamber and presidential race.

THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS REMOVED FROM VOTER ROLLS, DOZENS OF LAWMAKERS WANT ANSWERS FROM GARLAND

Jeffries and Trump

Democrats, led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have seen their path to the House majority narrowing. (Getty Images)

"If you told me [President-elect Trump] won the popular vote, dominated the electoral college, and they could end up with 56 seats in the Senate, this House map is really not too bad," they said.

A person familiar with House Democratic campaigns told Fox News Digital, "If last night is any indication of how the House will flip, I don't feel confident. The American people are clearly not buying what we're selling."

"I think it comes down to the economy, honestly," the second source said. "People feel like they could have more in their bank account."

As of early Wednesday afternoon, Republicans led Democrats by nearly two dozen projected race wins, according to the Associated Press.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS ELECTION RESULTS

family using a shopping cart while buying groceries at the supermarket

One source said it likely came down to the economy (iStock)

The winning party must take 218 of 435 House races to control the chamber.

And there are those on the Democratic side still holding out hope but acknowledging the margins would be thin.

"I think Democrats are still hopeful…there's a chance to get some flips to get a narrow majority," longtime Democratic strategist Joel Rubin told Fox News Digital. 

Rubin pointed to toss-up seats in California and New York that still have not been called, which are currently held by Republican incumbents, as well as an open seat in Maryland that Democrats are fighting to keep.

Democrats are poised to unseat two Republican incumbents – New York Reps. Marc Molinaro and Brandon Williams – so far in their quest to win the majority.

Meanwhile, Republicans are projected to take control of the open Michigan seat that was vacated by Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin. Reps. Matt Cartwright and Susan Wild, vulnerable Democrats in Pennsylvania, conceded their races to their respective Republican challengers.

Williams at COP28 U.N. Climate Summit

Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., was unseated by Democrats on Tuesday night (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)

And on the presidential level, Democrats – including those in the House – have already started pointing fingers.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, a pragmatic Democrat from New York, blamed the "far left" for Vice President Kamala Harris' loss.

"Donald Trump has no greater friend than the far left, which has managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Jews from the Democratic Party with absurdities like ‘Defund the Police’ or ‘From the River to the Sea’ or ‘Latinx,"’ Torres wrote on X.

"The working class is not buying the ivory-towered nonsense that the far left is selling."

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Authored by Elizabeth Elkind via FoxNews November 6th 2024