Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel noted on Monday that the Democratic Party has lost approximately 1,000 legislative seats during the Obama administration.

Emanuel, who served as former President Barack Obama's first White House chief of staff, described the Democratic Party's electoral struggles in recent years while giving remarks at the National Press Club.

He discussed in part the number of seats Republicans have taken in Congress and state legislatures across the country.

The Democratic Party lost a net total of 1,042 state and federal Democratic posts, including the presidency, during Obama's time in the White House.

At one point, Emanuel was asked whether the special election for Georgia's sixth congressional district would play a role in Democrats' hopes of retaking control of Congress.

"As somebody who spent my life building the party, we are 1,000 seats shorter today than we were in 2009 or 2008," Emanuel said. "This is not about one election; it's about building a party, building an apparatus."

Emanuel also said that he likes the direction Democrats are heading into the 2018 midterm elections, but said it is too early to determine if they could retake Congress.