CNN, WSJ, WaPo reports suggest GOP losing midterm steam: 'Majority is in play'

CNN, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post reported recently that Republicans feel they might not be in as good of a position to win back a majority in Congress as they once were. 

"A once-bullish GOP now sees a smaller House majority in its future, presenting a challenge to McCarthy," CNN's headline, published Sunday, read. Reporters Melanie Zanona and Manu Raju wrote that the Republicans were "growing pessimistic" about their midterm chances and, in turn, putting House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy "on edge." 

As Democrats face historical headwinds, a struggling economy and high prices, many media pundits and strategists previously predicted a midterm bloodbath for the party. Zanona and Raju also emphasized that Republicans believe, despite recent optimism, Democratic chances were still bleak. 

"Last year, McCarthy bullishly predicted a 60-seat gain, a landslide that would give them a comfortable majority in a chamber where Republicans only need a net gain of four seats to take back power. But now, Republican sources believe that a gain of 15-30 seats is more likely, and they are not ruling out the possibility of a gain in the single digits, a thin majority that would almost certainly give McCarthy headaches," the CNN reporters wrote. 

AFTER LEGISLATIVE SUCCESS, POSITIVE ECONOMIC NEWS, BUMP IN POLLS, DEMOCRATS' MIDTERM CHANCES APPEAR TO IMPROVE

A Republican lawmaker told the outlet that the party was losing ground because of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June. 

"Roe caught Republicans off guard and we haven’t used it to paint the left as extreme nor shown any sort of compassion on the issue," the lawmaker said. 

The Wall Street Journal similarly reported on Sunday that the Democrats were "finishing the summer in a stronger position than where they started."

A Republican strategist also told the Journal that concerns surrounding abortion rights were increasing across the country. 

"We’ve seen that voters are still more concerned about inflation and the rising cost of living. That’s not to say that voters are not concerned about abortion, because it certainly registers," the strategist said. 

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs v. Jackson Woman's Health Organization case at the end of June. The decision was somewhat expected after Justice Samuel Alito's majority draft opinion was leaked months before the decision was handed down. 

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The report notes that Democrats have a slew of legislative victories to tout to voters, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the semiconductor chip bill. 

The Washington Post reported on Saturday that Democrats were "voicing growing confidence about limiting losses in the House and potentially even salvaging their majority in the midterm elections." 

"Democrats are investing anew in flipping Republican seats. They are also directing more money to protect a roster of their own endangered incumbents — a list party officials said noticeably shrank since the spring. And they are trying to frame contests around abortion rights, putting Republicans on the defensive for strict opposition to the procedure in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade," reporters Annie Linskey and Michael Scherer wrote. 

The outlet reported that Democrats do acknowledge they are still facing some "major hurdles." However, there has been an "unmistakeable mood shift" among Democrats, according to Linskey and Scherer. 

"The range has shifted. The world we were living in before, if we ended up in the 200s that was pretty good," an anonymous Democrat strategist told the outlet. "Now it is much more that the majority is in play. We have a path. It is there." 

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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Friday that President Biden's student loan debt handout might drive up Democrat voter turnout in the midterms.