Republicans reel from staggering losses in return to Capitol Hill: ‘I’m thankful to have survived’

Republicans returned to Washington on Monday with little to celebrate following staggering midterm losses that saw the GOP cede control to Democrats amid a historic wipeout.Republicans experienced an extinction-level event last week, as House Democrats will have a caucus north of 250 seats en route to eliminating nearly every battleground Republican.Thus, there was limited joy among Republicans, who are set to elect their leaders for the next Congress on Tuesday. “It stinks bad,” Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) told the Washington Examiner. “So we need to be self-reflective. … We’re in the locker room and we’re gonna talk to each other [and say], ‘What did we do wrong, and what can we do better, and what’s our plan going forward?'”Those who won their elections were just happy to be back on Capitol Hill.“A win is a win,” said Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC) after narrowly winning his reelection bid in a race thought to be uncompetitive. Harrigan saw four of his colleagues unexpectedly lose seats while two remain uncalled.“Well, I’m thankful to have survived,” Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC), another surviving North Carolina Republican, told the Washington Examiner. “I mean, that’s the heart of the matter. It’s going to be a challenging time for Republicans, and I’m most hopeful and trying to stay laser focused on this lame duck right now.”Republicans have just 23 voting days left before the new Congress is sworn in, when Democrats will take control with their largest House majority in recent decades. That reality has left many in the Republican caucus with an appetite to get as much done as possible before they are out of power.Other Republicans sought to put the results in the rearview mirror despite their waning numbers.“Now we just got to regroup and re-message and get back out,”said Rep. John McGuire (R-VA), who staved off a spirited Democratic challenger.“Republicans need to listen to voters, not political pundits and consultants,” Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) told reporters just hours earlier. Boebert appears likely to lose her seat.Some Republicans aren’t waiting around. A handful of members have already filed with the Federal Election Commission to reclaim their just-lost seats.“It’s more fun to win than to lose, but I always quote Winston Churchill, one of my favorite guys, ‘Never, never, never give up,’” said Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), who lost a stunner in a race uncontested by national Democrats. “I’m keeping my campaign office open. I have a full-time person here already who was with me in the campaign. My chief of staff, obviously, will be leaving the congressional office. She is going over there full time, and I have a full-time fundraiser. So once I’m done here next year, I’m starting the campaign for ’28.”DEMOCRATS’ MOST VULNERABLE RENTAL SEATS IN 2028 Across the aisle, Democrats were exuberant, lingering on the House floor to recount their victories and meet the new members of the caucus.“The floor felt completely different, a lot of conversation, activity, excitement on the Democratic side, mostly about what is ahead, what we might be able to do, whether it’s ending the war, repealing the tariffs, banning stock trading by members of Congress, and clearly a more somber feeling on the Republican side,” said Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-MD).