Republican Party’s Dysfunctional Leadership May Not Have Cost Them the House
In a surprising outcome, the Republican Party has effectively won control of the US House of Representatives despite years of dysfunction and infighting among its members. According to the Associated Press, Republicans will maintain their current thin majority of 222 seats, almost identical to the one they have now.
The party’s struggles with leadership, including multiple government shutdowns, a near default on the federal debt, and a prolonged fight to choose a new speaker, seemed to have little impact on voters. Despite these challenges, Republican candidates managed to hold onto or flip more than a dozen hotly contested districts across the country.
According to Brendan Buck, a former top adviser to two Republican speakers, the lesson of the past two years is that “it’s riskier to do big things than to do nothing at all.” This sentiment was echoed by Representative Don Bacon, who described some far-right Republicans as wanting to be in the minority, allowing them to vote no and yell.
The apparent success of the Republican Party’s efforts to maintain control of the House suggests that its members may have underestimated the importance of their job performance. Democrats had hoped to capitalize on the party’s infighting by portraying themselves as responsible leaders who could get things done.
In reality, it was larger factors such as President Trump’s overperformance and his ability to drag Republican candidates along with him that likely contributed to the party’s success. According to Democratic pollster Geoff Garin, the Republican majority is in a good position to win again in 2026, when they will have to defend their policies.
Ultimately, it appears that voters are not particularly concerned with the details of Congress’ work or the behavior of its leaders. As Representative Patrick T. McHenry noted, “The American people don’t pay attention to the details of our politics.” This lack of concern could bode well for Democrats in future elections, but for now, Republicans can maintain their grip on the House despite their dysfunction.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/13/us/politics/republican-house-majority.html