Democrats will hold House of Representatives in 2020 elections, asserts Pelosi

Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday (local time) said that the Democrats will retain control of the House of Representatives after next year's presidential elections.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Pelosi exuded confidence that the Democrats would strengthen their majority numbers further in the forthcoming off-year election, slated to be held in November this year.

"I'm going to have our races won by this November," she said.

An off-year election is a general election in the US which is held in odd-numbered years when neither a presidential election nor a midterm election takes place.

Off-year elections attract less voter turnout compared to high-octane presidential or midterm polls. Polls held during an odd-numbered year are gubernatorial elections, state legislative elections, mayoral elections and House elections to name a few.

Taking on the Republicans, Pelosi said by Thanksgiving Day (November 28), lawmakers planning to contest the 2020 elections will "think twice" about running against the Democrats.

"We fully intend to win this election, and some of you are vulnerable. It's going to cost you millions of dollars, to win or lose. And if you win -- say you win -- you're in the minority," she added.

Pelosi's remarks came after Trump had said that he is "totally confident" that the Republicans would take back control of the House from the Democrats.

"We're going to take the House back. We are. I feel totally confident," Trump had said at the National Republican Congressional Committee's annual spring dinner on April 2 here.

The Republicans were holding the House of Representatives before the Democrats wrested control of the House in the midterm polls last year with a net gain of 40 seats in the elections.

In the 435-member House, there are 235 Democrats while there are 197 Republicans. Three seats, which are vacant, are at stake for this year's House elections in November.