Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Disappointed in Democrats for Losing House, Even Though They Kept It

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) told attendees of a virtual town hall meeting Thursday night that she and others are “extraordinarily” disappointed in Democrats for losing the House–even though they actually kept control of the lower legislative chamber.

A constituent asked Ocasio-Cortez during the town hall meeting about her perspective on the down-ballot races in the 2020 election.

Ocasio-Cortez replied that the “loss of the House majority” is “upsetting” to everyone.

“So, you know, of course, the loss of the House majority is just extraordinarily upsetting to all of us,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “It’s upsetting to all of us who are invested in having a Democratic majority so that we can expand health care, so that we can raise wages, so that we can protect working people.”

Ocasio-Cortez did not appear to catch her mistake.

Democrats held a 35-seat majority in the House before the 2020 election; but after a smattering of wins by several down-ballot Republicans who flipped congressional seats, the Democrats’ majority will shrink by at least seven seats, making it one of the slimmest margins in decades.

That number could grow as some House races have not yet been called.

Democrats control at least 219 seats, one more than the 218 needed to keep the majority in the House.

Ocasio-Cortez lamented in a separate interview in November that the Democrats were “incompetent” for not placing progressives in top positions, warning former Vice President Joe Biden that if he does not select far-left people for top positions, the Democrats will suffer heavy losses in the 2022 midterm elections.

In another interview with CNN’s State of the Union in November, Ocasio-Cortez said no Democrats within her party campaigned on “socialism or defunding the police in this general election.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to take the blame for Democrat losses this election cycle, instead telling reporters on Capitol Hill she took credit for “winning the majority and holding the House.”