WASHINGTON _ Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday evening predicted Republicans would maintain their majorities in the House and Senate after the midterm elections, but urged members in the coming weeks to tout the conservative victories achieved in 2017 to constituents.
Pence, who was speaking at the annual GOP retreat in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., said the White House would be with the lawmakers "every step of the way in 2018."
"We've got an incredible story to tell," Pence said, citing specifically the record amount of appellate judges the Senate confirmed last year.
Republicans will discuss the 2018 political landscape during this week's policy retreat. Midterm elections are historically not kind to the party in power and Democrats are hopeful they can flip the House and retain, and possible gain, Senate seats.
Pence claimed that, despite "conventional wisdom" that the midterms would be a challenge, the GOP would keep their majorities in both chambers.
"Conventional wisdom holds that the upcoming midterms are going to be a challenge, but I think you all know what President Trump thinks about conventional wisdom," he said. "The conventional wisdom said in 2016 that Hillary Clinton was going to be elected.
"We made history in 2016 and we're going to make history again in 2018 when we re-elect Republican majorities in the House and Senate," Pence added. "We've got our work cut out for us but we've got a story to tell."
House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer said Wednesday during an Axios event that he expects Democrats to pick up 30 seats or more in the midterm elections.
"I think 30 is a minimum frankly," the Maryland Democrat said.
More than two dozen Senate Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine, who are both independents but caucus with Democrats, are up for re-election. Several of those races are expected to be competitive.
