House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi got some very bad news during Tuesday’s special election in Ohio.
Not only did the Democrat’s candidate lose — but experts believe he lost directly because of Pelosi.
Democratic candidate Danny O’Connor lost his bid for an open Ohio congressional seat Tuesday, a special election held after 18-year veteran Republican Rep. Pat Tiberi resigned on Jan. 15, 2018.
A historically red district, O’Connor surprised experts when he managed to pull close in the polling numbers to Republican Troy Balderson, a candidate backed by President Donald Trump.
That’s because O’Connor initially slammed Pelosi and pledged to support “a new generation of leadership” as a way to appeal to moderate voters. It’s the same tactic Democrat Rep. Conor Lamb used to win a deep red Pennsylvania seat last year.
That was until O’Connor slipped up during an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, and admitted he’d support Pelosi or whomever Democratic leaders nominated for speaker.
“Republicans pounced on O’Connor, and deservedly so,” The Washington Examiner reported. “Republicans aren’t talking about their own accomplishments ahead of the election. Republicans are talking about how O’Connor is a stealth Pelosi supporter prepared to vote for her and for open borders the moment he gets to Capitol Hill.”
That was the difference on Tuesday night. In an extremely narrow race, voter backlash over Pelosi likely cost O’Connor the entire election.
Since taking charge of the Democratic Party, Pelosi has lost nearly every major election.
The latest loss in Ohio will no doubt get the attention of Democratic candidates heading into November’s critical mid-term.
The message? If a politician says they’d even consider voting for Pelosi, it could cost them everything.
Tuesday proved that after November’s midterm election — whether the Democrats win or lose — Pelosi is toast.
See you later, Nancy.
— The Horn editorial team