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WASHINGTON Democrats lost a significant number of seats in federal and state elections during former President Barack Obamas two terms and on Sunday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said it would take longer than 2018 to win them all back.

Still, Do I think were going to have a good year in 2018? Yes, Emanuel said, tempering his prediction. Do I think everythings going to be solved in a single cycle? Thats not how we got here, and its not going to be how we get out.

Emanuel looked ahead at the 2018 and 2020 contests when President Donald Trump will be up for re-election during an interview with Dana Bash on CNNs State of the Union.

While in the House of Representatives, Emanuel led the Democratic take-over in 2006, when he chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Now the GOP controls the House, Senate and the White House.

Democrats are optimistic the Trump presidency will help them win back seats but so far Democrats have not claimed any victories in a handful of special elections since Trump took office. In Montana on Thursday, Trump did not prove the liability Democrats have been counting on.

Republican Greg Gianforte, who embraced Trump, kept the Montana at-large seat Republican, winning over Democrat Rob Quist despite facing late breaking assault charges for shoving a reporter.

Last February, Emanuel offered a gloomy prognosis for Democrats during a talk at Stanford Universitys School of Business.

Democrats are at the lowest level since 1928 in the House of Representatives and the lowest level since 1925 in the state houses. It is hard to imagine it getting lower, the mayor said.

It took us a long time to get this low. It aint gonna happen in 2018. Take a chill pill, man. Youve got to be in this for the long haul. And if you think its gonna be a quick turnaround like that, its not. You have to be part of this for the long haul. Youre gonna have a success here and a success here, and then youll build a critical mass. But its worth fighting for. And I think this country is worth fighting for, Emanuel said.

On Sunday, Emanuel was asked if Democrats could take back the House in 2018.

What I disagree with is an approach that assumes its only about one election. Were down, over the last 8 years, about 1,100 Democrats. Youre not going to solve it in 2018.

The Republicans didnt do what they did with just one election cycle. You have to have a long horizon, obviously, and work towards that, electing people at the local level, state houses, into Congress, Emanuel said.

The next showdown is June 20 in Georgia, for the vacancy created when Trump tapped now former Rep. Tom Price to be the Health and Human Services Secretary. Democrat Jon Ossoff is battling Republican Karen Handel.

As for Hillary Clinton running for president again in 2020 Emanuel said, I happen to love Hillary, and I think shes full of energy, and I happen to think theres a lot of time between now and the presidential election. She has to decide whether thats in her heart. We have a lot of time between now and the presidential election of 2020.

Hillary has a lot of offer. The core question is not whether I think she would be a good candidate. Its whether she wants to run.

Link:
Rahm: Democrats will have good year in 2018 but tough road ahead - Chicago Sun-Times