Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota believes that if President Biden had stayed on the ticket, Republicans would have likely won 30 to 40 House seats, including her own. She was one of the first House Democrats to publicly urge Biden to step aside after his poor debate performance against Donald Trump. Craig felt that Biden was not a strong campaigner and that the party was in danger of losing the presidency to Trump again. She eventually pushed for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to become the Vice Presidential nominee.
Despite Democrats ultimately losing control of the White House and Senate, they did manage to gain one seat in the House, which was the smallest such change in the House’s history. The House of Representatives has not seen major swings of 30 to 40 seats in recent election cycles due to aggressive gerrymandering. The most recent large swing occurred in the 2018 blue wave cycle when Democrats gained 41 seats. Republicans gained 14 seats in 2020 and then nine in 2022. Democrats are hopeful that with a slim GOP majority in the House, Republicans will be limited in what they can achieve during the second Trump administration.
After Harris took over as the Democratic nominee, the party still lost the trifecta to Republicans. Reports have surfaced that Biden and his aides privately believe he could have defeated Trump if he had stayed on the ticket. There are also rumors of a strained relationship between Biden and Harris, with sources saying that the rapport between the two has grown frosty. Harris had faced criticism for not distancing herself from Biden during the 2024 election contest.
Following the election defeat, Democrats are engaged in soul-searching and internal battles over who will lead the Democratic National Committee. The party is struggling to regroup after losing control of the White House and Senate, as well as facing challenges in the House. The first major test for the Democrats will be the House speakership election on Friday. Despite the setbacks, Democrats are hopeful that they can work with the slim GOP majority in the House to limit Republican achievements during the second Trump administration.
Ultimately, Rep. Angie Craig’s concerns about the potential loss of House seats if Biden had remained on the ticket highlight the challenges faced by Democrats in recent election cycles. The party has had to navigate gerrymandering and changing political dynamics to maintain control in Congress. As Democrats continue to reassess their strategies and leadership following the election defeat, it remains to be seen how they will move forward and rebuild their political power in the face of a strengthened Republican presence in government.
