CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten added some historical perspective to the midterm election results, noting Wednesday that the “bluenami” could deliver the largest gain in House seats for Democrats since 1974 — just after President Richard Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal.
“Bluenami!” Enten told host John Berman. “Look at this: 263. 263.”
The data guru was referring to the total number of House seats Democrats could win once all the ballots are counted. While his expressiveness on CNN recently landed him some mockery, he appeared genuinely stunned by the number and what it could mean for the party.
“They entered the evening, what, Johnny B., at about 215 back in the 2024 election?” Enten said. “That is a gain potentially of nearly 50 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. It would represent one of the largest gains, or, I believe the largest gain since basically 1974.”
He said, “That, of course, was the Watergate midterms.”
Nixon resigned mere months ahead of those midterm elections over his role in the infamous wiretapping scandal. While Watergate shocked the nation, leading Democrats to net 49 House seats, the party could potentially surpass that figure in the 2026 midterms.
Berman reminded viewers on Wednesday that the 263-seat figure remains only a projection based on races Democrats are leading in, some of which haven’t been officially called yet, but did note that it suggests “how much more growth there is in the House” this year.
The “bluenami” is certainly real, as Democrats are projected to win control of both the House and Senate.