House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) described herself and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) as the "voices for winning" back the majorities in their respective chambers in the 2018 midterm elections.
In an interview with KTVU anchor Ken Wayne published Tuesday, Pelosi discussed the Democratic Party's hopes of taking back the majority from the Republicans. The GOP has held the House since 2010 and the Senate since 2014.
Pelosi said the situation was similar to the preconditions to Democrats taking back the chambers in 2006, the second midterm of George W. Bush's presidency. Historically, the party of the incumbent president struggles in midterms; Barack Obama's Democrats suffered brutal losses in 2010 and 2014, and Bush's Republicans in 2006 took a "thumping," as Bush put it.
"We're the voices, the Senate leader and I are the voices for winning those races in [the] House and the Senate, and we're ready," Pelosi said.
She said it was "very possible" for Democrats to take back the House, adding it might be easier than winning back the Senate, where Republicans are defending fewer seats.
Pelosi is one of the most unpopular politicians in the country, and some members of her own caucus called for fresh leadership after Georgia Democratic House candidate Jon Ossoff lost his special election race last month, in part due to Republicans tying him to Pelosi in their advertising.
Pelosi defended herself against the onslaught, saying she was a "master legislator" and would leave her position on her own terms.