DCCC Chair 'Not Surprised' by Democrats' Low Generic Poll Numbers

Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) — the top Democrat tasked with keeping their House majority — said during a TV appearance on Sunday that he is not surprised that Democrats are receiving low poll numbers on generic ballots less than a year from the midterm elections, where there Democrats are at risk of losing the House majority.

Maloney was asked by the host on News 12 Westchester’s Power & Politics if he was worried about Democrats receiving low poll numbers and being beaten by Republicans on the generic ballot — asking respondents who they would vote for in the election — by ten points in some cases.

“I’m not surprised,” Maloney said. He claimed that polls are “stabilizing for the Democrats,” not addressing why they have begun to show Republicans ahead when Democrats have typically led in the generic polls.

In his response, Maloney blamed the “tough political environment out there” from the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. He said that Americans are “frustrated” that the coronavirus pandemic has gone on for so long. In addition, Maloney acknowledged that “prices are up,” including gas and groceries prices.

The host also referenced the aftermath of the Virginia and New Jersey elections, where Governor-elect Glenn Younkin (R), Lieutenant Governor-elect Winsome Sears (R), and down-ballot Republicans flipped the state House in Virginia. At the same time, New Jersey’s incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy (D) nearly lost to a Republican challenger as well.

Recently, as the host mentioned, Republicans have dominated in the generic polls. Numerous polls have shown Republicans beating Democrats in a generic ballot leading up to the election when respondents say who they would elect to represent them, as Democrats continue to pass partisan agenda items, such as the infrastructure package and the reconciliation bill. One generic poll from RealClearPolitics showed Republicans leading for the first time since 2014.

Next year, all 435 members in the House are up for reelection, and the Republicans only need to net five seats to pick up the House majority after the midterms.

So far, 18 Democrats have decided to officially call it quits on the House — from either retiring or running for a different position, such as the Senate or in a local or state election — and have left their seats open for a fight. This gives House Republicans more chances to net five seats to gain the majority and retire House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as the speaker since 18 is more than triple the number of seats the Republicans need.

Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter.