McCarthy's message for Democrats facing tight elections in 2022: 'You are no longer safe'


House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is feeling pretty good after Tuesday's election.
McCarthy told reporters on Wednesday that he feels the Republican wins in tight races like Virginia say one thing — "If you're a Democrat, and President Biden won your seat by 16 points, you're in a competitive race next year. You are no longer safe."
He predicted that the GOP could flip more than 60 House seats in next year's midterm elections, arguing that more than 70 Democratic seats are now considered competitive. "There's many that are going to lose their races based upon walking off a cliff, from Nancy Pelosi pushing them," McCarthy continued, per The Hill.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
If Republicans won a majority in the House, McCarthy would be one of the likeliest lawmakers to take over as house speaker. Pundits have predicted the control could tip over to the GOP next year, since Democrats currently hold such a narrow majority.
Continuing to rib Pelosi, McCarthy asserted "She may not care if she loses — she lost 63 the last time she was Speaker," referencing the wave of losses Democrats saw in 2010.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Could Iran's water crisis be the regime's tipping point?
Today's Big Question Drought is a problem. So is government mismanagement.
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein