Vice President Pence maintained in an interview with Hill.TV on Friday that Republicans will keep control of the House in next week’s midterm elections.
“I think we’re going to expand our majority in the United States Senate, and I think we’re going to hold our Republican majority in the House of Representatives,” Pence told Hill.TV’s Buck Sexton.
“But that being said, there is certainly common ground in areas that we can work that the president has laid out,” Pence added when asked about working with Democrats if they win the House, citing issues like trade and infrastructure.
“I think there’s a broad range of areas that we’ll be able to work with that Democrat minority in the House and the Senate, and we’ll continue to reach out to do that.”
The comments from Pence, a former six-term House member, came shortly after President Trump acknowledged earlier Friday that Republicans could end up losing control of the lower chamber in Tuesday’s midterms.
“It could happen. Could happen. We’re doing very well, and we’re doing really well in the Senate, but could happen,” Trump said at a rally in West Virginia.
“And you know what you do? My whole life, you know what I say? ‘Don’t worry about it, I’ll just figure it out,’ ” he continued. “Does that make sense? I’ll figure it out.”
Trump has been active on the campaign trail in recent weeks, criss-crossing the country in an effort to boost GOP Senate and gubernatorial candidates and get Republicans to the polls.
Democrats are widely favored to win the House. They need to net 23 seats to take control of the chamber.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has rated 72 Republican-held House seats — and only five Democratic seats — as “at risk” ahead of the elections.
Meanwhile, Republicans are widely favored to keep control of the Senate, where Democrats have a less favorable map and are defending 10 seats in states Trump won in 2016.
— Julia Manchester
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