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And joining us now here on Bloomberg TV and Radio as we broadcast live from Chicago is Democratic Congresswoman Susan del Bene of Washington. She is chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee D Triple C. It is essentially your job, congresswomen, to get as many Democrats in that House as possible. Clearly, as we've seen in the data, you have more money in the bank. It does feel like the energy here in Chicago may provide something of a wind at your backs.
How many seats do you think Democrats can safely target to flip down?
Well, we need to net four more seats to take back the majority. So that is a key number. In fact, we have some pins out there that say four more and twenty four. We need four more seats to take back the devils to make King Jeffries the Speaker of the House. So we are working hard across the country. We have thirty candidates we call them are red to blue candidates, so they are looking to either keep open seats that we have or flip seats and so incredible opportunities.
And they're in New York and California and Iowa, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania and Alabama, so all over the country of incredible opportunities, and we want a strong governing majority, so we're going to work hard to win as many as we can.
Well, suddenly that seems like a real possibility that in a way did not four or five weeks ago. And the reporting has been pretty consistent that after the debate, the presidential debate, it was House members who started to fear the ramifications of Joe Biden staying in this race. It was Joe Biden's realization that losing the House in this next election was not an option. What does that say about the royyer chamber is playing here in the Democratic Party and his decision to leave the race.
Well, we've been running ahead this whole cycle. People have seen the chaos that dysfunctioned in extremism on the Republican side, and it's nowhere a better example than the House of Representatives where he had speaker elections and then kicking out there our own speaker. The ongoing challenge that they've had
to respond the government. But we've been in an incredible position and had strong support across the country, So our candidates have been running ahead They've had strong fundraising throughout this cycle, and our candidates and our concumbents are out raising their Republican counterparts, and at the d tb Z, we're out raising our Republican counterparts too. So we just raised seventeen point six million dollars last month, six million more than the Republicans. We have more cash on hand,
so we're in a strong position. And when you take all the energy and enthusiasm that you see here in Chicago, you see that on the ground all across the country. Volunteers churning out to help knock on doors, to make phone calls. There's a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm and we're seen in every part of the country and that's going to be key to helping us win well.
And we've been paying attention to a few specific demographic groups, the idea that Latino and blackfool may be more enthusiastic now suburban women as well. We actually spoke earlier today with Tara setmey Or. She is CEO of the Seneca Project who was trying to get women elected Kamala Harris specifically, and she had this to say about mobilizing that vote.
The fact that the Republicans chose a ticket that wasn't exactly friendly to women's needs or rights, and that they're taking that for granted and almost disrespectfully insulting women like this, They're almost doing our job for us as far as messaging is concerned, because women can see through this. They can see through the insults, They see through the childless
cat lady comments. And you know, every week it's a different set of insults for women, different demographics of women, and that mobilizes women.
How is the DTL see looking at trying to target and mobilize that specific group of voters.
Well, absolutely, she's right. They are making the case and they've made the case since the Dobbs decision. They trying to take away reproductive freedom across the country. They want a national abortion ban, So that alone has been mobilizing women. We've heard the terrible stories of women being denied basic
health care, so women are energized. We know in special elections since November of twenty twenty two, when abortion has been on the ballot, Democrats have turned out and we've seen increased democratic performance and we've won even in places like Kansas and Ohio and Virginia. In a special election in New York three where we gained one more seat. Even in Alabama where a state legislative race, a seat that was very red flipped to a Democrat after that
Supreme Court IVF decision. They're strong. So that was a thirty point swing, by the way, strong support. So we know abortion is going to be on the ballot in many of our battleground states across the country Florida, Arizona, New York. These are going to be This is really going to be critical for folks because when we are going to turn out, but people across the country this is a critical issue and voters are with us on this. So we're going to see enthusiasm and turn out across
the country. And again another reason why we're in a very strong position.
You spoke at the convention last night at the DNC here sounding pretty optimistic about your odds for taking back the House. Here's what she said.
In twenty twenty two, we came within seven thousand votes of the majority. So it's within our power to win these critical races. This election is about our rights, our freedoms, our democracy, and our future.
I want you to walk us down ballot or maybe across the map is a better way to see it here Because we spend so much time talking about the presidential race and these seven states in a world in which none of the others matter. How much more complicated is the calculation for someone like yourself, as Kaylee said, tasked with getting how members elected? Because your map looks a lot different than the presidential race, how local does it get? How different is that exercise?
It's a great question and is very Different'll think about the presidential which is very focused on swing states, or the Senate, where it is very focused on a few races because they aren't all up every but we are up every two years. So our map is over sixty seats across the country, and we are we have important races in states that are blue, like New York and California. We also have opportunities in swing districts if you look
at places like Michigan or Arizona. But we also have states like Iowa and Nebraska, Montana where we have opportunities to pick up seats, even Alabama, So we're everywhere across the country. Absolutely, Our candidates are focused on the issues of these districts, and we have independent thinkers folks who are very results oriented running all across the country, and you know that is a big difference between the House and some of the other races, and definitely the presidential
it will be very local. We've got a lot of races and incredible candidates, and so they are talking to folks in their districts, talking about the issues that matter. They want to come back to Congress to govern.
Well, so as we talk about your fundraising and the idea that you are out raising your Republican counterparts when it's so many races, once you spread that money out, maybe it's just a lot that it has to go a very long way. We've had a few conversations about the sudden burst of fundraising we've seen after Harris has entered the race. Do you worry that that's going to tape or off or do you think this pace of donation is sustainable.
Well, you know, we've been running ahead this entire cycle. So we've had strong fundraising and been out raising Republicans for the House because people know how close we are to taking back the majority. But we had our biggest online fundraising day after Vice President Harris anounced their candidacy. What about really see more and more momentum. And it's not only to the committee, the d trible C, but
also to our candidates. I mean they are outraising their opponents too, so important because those resources are critical for their races. We can support them, but they are also doing a great job directly themselves.
Well, and you're running back into the hall, have a fun night tonight, have the pressure of speaking this time.
You just get exactly makes a little easier.
I'm sure that's true. Democratic Congressman Susan del Bene of Washington. We thank you, and we should note that Michael Bloomberg, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, and this network is a major donor to the House Majority Pack largest super Pack, backing congressional Democratic candidates