House races

Democrats are seizing on Rep.-elect Andy Harris's (R-Md.) complaints over his congressional healthcare plan, using it to demand that GOP leaders square their support for healthcare repeal with their acceptance of their own taxpayer-subsidized congressional plans. 

In a private briefing of incoming freshman members, Harris complained that his healthcare benefits didn't kick in immediately, Politico reported earlier in the week.

Democrats have tried to paint the complaint as an example of GOP hypocrisy — Harris is a staunch advocate of repealing the healthcare law. 

Several House Democrats, led by Reps. Joseph Crowley (N.Y.), Donna Edwards (Md.) and Tim Ryan (Ohio) are circulating a letter addressed to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-Ohio) that demands the GOP "find out which of their members will forgo the employer-subsidized Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage before trying to make it harder for others to obtain affordable coverage."

Another part of the letter reads, "It is amazing that your members would complain about not having health care coverage for a few weeks, even after campaigning to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which will help provide coverage to millions of Americans who find themselves without health insurance for months or even years."

Harris, who defeated Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-Md.) earlier this month, is one of many incoming Tea Party-backed Republicans who are pushing for an immediate vote in the House to repeal the healthcare law — a top priority of Tea Party activists.  

Democrat Tim Bishop calls it "despicable" for Republican to challenge his elderly father's absentee ballot.

Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), one of the Blue Dog Democrats who led the charge against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) remaining Democratic leader Wednesday, said he isn't worried about threats from the left that centrists who opposed Pelosi will face electoral consequences.    

"Labor and MoveOn did that with Sen. [Blanche] Lincoln [D-Ark.] and it worked real well for them didn't it?" Ross said after emerging from an hours-long meeting of the Democratic caucus that elected Nancy Pelosi minority leader for the upcoming Congress.

Referencing Democrat Bill Halter's failed primary challenge to Lincoln earlier this year, which was fueled by labor interests and liberal activists, Ross said that going after centrist Democrats in primaries is the wrong approach. 

"This point shouldn't be lost--Democrats didn't choose for Democrats to run the Congress and Republicans didn't choose for Republicans to run the Congress. It was the independents each time," said Ross. "It was the independents that gave us the Democratic majority and it was the independents that took away that Democratic majority."   

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a liberal group, singled out Ross and a handful of other centrist Democrats in an email to supporters, warning that "voting against Pelosi will have consequences." 

The group's co-founder, Adam Green, warned that liberal activists will "definitely be looking to replace some Blue Dogs next cycle with people who will not be captive to corporate funders and instead will embrace the economic populist agenda their constituents are demanding." 

The group's email targeted Democratic Reps. Ross, Heath Shuler (N.C.), Mike McIntyre (N.C.), Larry Kissell (N.C.), Jim Matheson (Utah), Sanford Bishop (Ga.), Jim Costa (Calif.), Jason Altmire (Pa.), Dan Boren (Okla.) Tim Holden (Pa.) and Joe Donnelly (Ind.).   

Defeated Rep. Bobby Bright (D-Ala.), one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, says voting to keep Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) the party's leader sends a clear message that "centrist Democrats don't matter."  

Bright lost his bid for reelection earlier this month to Republican Martha Roby and fought hard to distance himself from the House Speaker and the Democratic leadership throughout his campaign. 

The outgoing congressman told The Hill that Pelosi was "the only issue in my race. I never could engage with my opponent meaningfully on issues. I've never been part of an election like that."

He called the apparent decision to allow Pelosi to retain her position atop the Democratic leadership "a major mistake." 

During the campaign, Bright ran an ad that boasted he voted with House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) close to 80 percent of the time and touted his vote against "massive government healthcare." He also vowed to not be a vote for Pelosi again.

In a response to a question on the campaign trail over whether he would support the House Speaker should Democrats retain the majority, Bright joked that the Speaker might die before Democrats had to again make a decision on leadership.

Bright said his advice to Democratic members who managed to survive the Republican wave is to work toward the middle and find a way to push party politics aside. He also said he wouldn't rule out making another run for the seat in 2012 or later down the road. 

"Right now, I plan on just taking a step back and try to analyze what's out there," he said. "But you never say never."

Illinois Rep. Melissa Bean (D) was unable to overcome the 347-vote Election Day deficit with challenger Joe Walsh (R) and has conceded the race.

Bean was hoping that some 1,500 outstanding absentee and provisional ballots would give her the win, but continued counting this week proved otherwise. She ended up losing by 291 votes out of some 200,000 that were cast.

On Tuesday night, Bean called Walsh to congratulate him on the win. She's holding a press conference Wednesday morning in Schaumburg to discuss her future plans.

The incoming lawmakers want an immediate vote to repeal the healthcare law, a leading priority for the Tea Party movement. 

Mississippi Rep. Gene Taylor (D) urged Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) to follow the example of Newt Gingrich and "walk away" from her leadership role. 

"As much as I dislike [former House Speaker] Gingrich, and I do, when that guy realized that he was a drag on his party, he walked away," Taylor said.

"[Former House Majority Leader Tom] DeLay, when he realized he was a drag on his party, he walked away. [Former House Majority Leader Dick] Armey, he realized he was a drag on his party, he walked away. Somehow the Democratic leadership doesn't get that memo. And they need to get that memo."

The 11-term Democrat said there is a "cultural difference" between the Democratic and Republican House leadership. It's common in the GOP to leave a position of power for the overall good of the party, said Taylor. "That's what leadership is about."

Pelosi's continued leadership role won't help Democrats reclaim the majority in 2012, Taylor said. "I think she definitely hurts."

Taylor, who suffered a surprise defeat Nov. 2, said he's not planning on running again in 2012. His defeat means he won't be able to vote in the Democrats' House leadership election set for Wednesday.

Taylor said he wished he would have won reelection so he could vote for Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) to become minority leader. Shuler is waging a long-shot challenge to Pelosi, but has admitted he doesn't have the votes to win.

Several conservative Democrats say Pelosi's election as minority leader could hurt the party's chances in the South.

North Carolina Republican Renee Ellmers said Tuesday that she is confident her vote lead over Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) will withstand a recount slated to begin tomorrow.  

Ellmers, who is in Washington for freshman orientation, leads Etheridge by some 1,500 votes, but the eight-term incumbent requested a recount.

Ellmers said Tuesday that her campaign's legal team and staff are in place for the recount, which is expected to be wrapped up Thursday. 

"I'm very confident that ultimately we'll still be victorious," she said. 

Ellmers said she was "disappointed" that Etheridge decided to call for a recount but said "it was certainly within his right to do so. Hopefully he will be satisfied with the results. We feel like the people have spoken." 

Etheridge's race gained some brief national attention earlier this year when a video hit YouTube of the congressman on a Washington street in a confrontation with two young men. Republican strategists now admit they were behind the incident.  

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed Ellmers in August, and the race made national news again in September when the Republican released a campaign ad labeling the proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque near Ground Zero in New York a "victory mosque."

Many of the Democrats who were swept out of their House seats in this year’s Republican wave lost by small margins.