BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Democrats appear to have defied historical norms this election cycle by blunting Republican gains in the midterms, but Rep. Susan Wild was not surprised.
Wild, who narrowly won the Lehigh Valley's hotly-contested congressional race against Republican challenger Lisa Scheller, said she never bought into media predictions of a red wave this November.
- U.S. Rep. Susan Wild was initially dismayed by the close race but delighted by reelection to Congress
- Wild faced Republican challenger Lisa Scheller for the Lehigh Valley's 7th Congressional District
- It remains unclear which party will hold power over the legislative branch when all votes are counted across the country
"I thought they had it wrong, and that it wasn't going to be much of a shellacking," Wild said in a phone interview with LehighValleyNews.com Friday evening.
Since World War II, midterm elections have typically broken against the party controlling the White House. Democrats hold slim majorities in the House and Senate, so even modest gains by Republicans would grant them control of Congress.
But Tuesday's results have largely reinforced the status quo. As of Friday night, it was unclear which party will hold power over the legislative branch.
Wild noted that Senate Minority Whip Mitch McConnell had tried months ago to downplay hopes of Republican gains in the Senate, citing "candidate quality." While he didn't mention names, Republicans backed several first-time candidates who had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Most of them wound up losing Tuesday, including Mehmet Oz, the TV host who ran for Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seat.
"I thought they had it wrong, and that it wasn't going to be much of a shellacking."U.S. Rep. Susan Wild
Democrats never had a candidate problem, Wild said. She has gotten to know incumbents in other closely divided districts, such as Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), and knew how hard they worked for their constituents, she said.
"I couldn't picture their voters throwing them out," said Wild, who announced in a tweet that she had contracted COVID-19 shortly before the phone interview.
Last night I tested positive for COVID-19. I am doing well, thanks to being vaccinated & boosted, and encourage all who can to sign up for boosters to reduce their risk of serious illness.
— Rep. Susan Wild (@RepSusanWild) November 11, 2022
Unofficial results show Wild won Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District by 1.6 percentage points. Both major parties identified it as a critical swing district and pumped millions of dollars into the race. Voter registration in the district is almost evenly divided by party, and the region has become a bellwether for state and national politics.
The 2022 election marked the second time in two years Wild defeated Scheller, a former Lehigh County commissioner and owner of a Schuylkill County-based manufacturing company. Both campaigns featured bruising attack ads.
“I was dismayed at how close it was even though I was prepared all along for it to be really close, but I guess that’s just kind of typical for this district,” Wild said.
Wild said she plans to spend the next two years working on the issues at the core of her platform - healthcare, education and bringing manufacturing jobs to the 7th District.
"I am very, very honored and humbled and delighted that I will continue to do this work on behalf of this district," she said.
