Skip to content

Pelosi Predicts House Majority Will Come Down to a Single Digit Difference

Minority leader says Democrats will make 'tremendous inroads'

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, center right, seen here at the Democratic National Convention in July with House Democratic female members and candidates, is confident her party will make gains in the lower chamber this November. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, center right, seen here at the Democratic National Convention in July with House Democratic female members and candidates, is confident her party will make gains in the lower chamber this November. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday predicted that whichever party wins the House majority in November, it will do so by a single digit. 

“Either we’ll be a single digit ahead or they’ll be a single digit ahead,” the California Democrat said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “But we’ll make tremendous inroads in terms of the number of Democrats in the House.”

Pelosi downplayed the edge Republicans have gained from recent redistricting efforts, saying that in 2006 Democrats surprised pundits by taking control of the House after mid-decade redistricting in Texas that made many districts in that state favor Republicans. 

“You don’t win if you don’t fight,” she said. “And we’re going to fight for every seat.”

[Decades-Old House Democratic Leadership Likely to Remain Intact]

With Donald Trump at the top of the Republican ticket, Democrats have an advantage in down ballot races, Pelosi argued. 

“He is the gift that keeps on giving,” she said. “Every day that he says something, it helps us mobilize at the grass-roots level, raise money, message a difference between the two parties. So he’s been good.”

However, Pelosi also had some advice for her party’s presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, on how she could improve her messaging. 

“I just said, ‘Throw away the speeches, throw away the teleprompter, go out there and be Hillary,'” she said. “She has it within her. She’s dedicated her life to this.” 

Recent Stories

Supreme Court denies Navarro bid to delay start of prison sentence

EPA finalizes ban on all remaining uses and importation of asbestos

Spending deal done, though final action could slip past deadline

Capitol Lens | On a roll

In the Spotlight: Maxwell Alejandro Frost

Supreme Court sounds reluctant to curb US social media outreach