‘How Nervous Are You?’ CNN’s Bash Confronts Moderate House Democrat About His Future After His Party’s Election Day Setbacks

CNN’s Dana Bash pressed Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) about what the gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey say about his electoral prospects, and those of his fellow Democrats.

Gottheimer spoke to Bash on Sunday on State of the Union, where they went over outstanding items from the Democrats’ economic agenda after the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill after months of back-and-forth. The conversation soon turned to the elections, however. Bash noted that Governor Phil Murphy (D) barely defeated Jack Ciattarelli (R), while Steve Sweeney — a longtime member of the NJ Senate — was beaten by Edward Durr, a truck driver who spent only $153 on his campaign.

On top of the struggles by Democrats in New Jersey, Republicans posted decisive wins in Virginia’s gubernatorial election. Bash proceeded to ask Gottheimer, “What happened there? And how nervous are you about holding onto your seat in 2022, looking at what happened?”

“The big lesson for me that night and I think for a lot of us is that people want action,” Gottheimer said. “They want results for families, and whether that’s clean drinking water or fixing the potholes when they drive to work and so they don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars of year fixing their cars, not sitting on Jersey Transit and getting the trains moving faster. I think to me the lesson is we need action for them and that’s why the infrastructure bill, getting that passed…truly a great bipartisan win for the country.”

Gottheimer concluded by continuing to emphasize that “you’ve got to get things done, and I hope that’s the lesson everyone took. It’s the lesson we took this week, which is why I worked hard with my colleagues to get it across the finish line.”

Watch above, via CNN.