Republicans' New York upset may have been 'Pyrrhic victory,' Pelosi says

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Wednesday that Republican state Assemblyman Mike Lawler's victory over incumbent Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney was potentially "Pyrrhic" in nature. 

"Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney has been an outstanding leader of the (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee). It is a credit to his vision, his strategic thinking and his leadership that our members and candidates had the mobilization, message and money to run excellent races and win in tough districts," the California Democrat said. "Republicans may have gained a Pyrrhic victory with this race because it has clearly come at the expense of other possible Republican wins."

Pelosi lauded the five-term Democrat's work in the chamber over the past decade, thanking him for his "patriotic and effective leadership." 

"Clearly, House Democrats have exceeded expectations. With many races continuing to be too close to call, every vote must be counted as cast to determine the final results," she said of the midterms. "As we proceed, we continue to be grateful to Sean Patrick Maloney for the successful operation he led that brought us to this point."

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi delivers remarks to the press before her meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the U.S. Capitol Oct. 25, 2022, in Washington, D.C.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

A Pyrrhic victory is one that comes at a great cost to the victor.

Maloney said he conceded to Lawler in a late-morning press conference, congratulating him on a "good win." 

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., leader of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, speaks during a news conference shortly after conceding to opponent Mike Lawler at the DCCC Nov. 9, 2022, in Washington, D.C.  (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

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"I don’t like to lose, but my opponent won this race, and he won it fair and square," the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said at a news conference in Washington, D.C. "And, that means something. So, I’m going to step aside. And I had a good run."

Congressional candidate Mike Lawler delivers a speech to supporters before knowing the final results during an election night party, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, in Pearl River, N.Y.  (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Maloney's loss is the first by a sitting House campaign committee chair since 1992, according to the Cook Political Report. 

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The GOP swept all four House seats on Long Island, and the party closed in on its largest share of the state’s congressional delegation in two decades.

Fox News Digital's Aubrie Spady, Alexandra Orbuch and The Associated Press contributed to this report.