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.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

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.