The playing field of competitive House races has expanded substantially over the past two months, increasing the chances that Republicans will control the lower chamber next year.
The news is good for Republicans as many open seats are trending to the GOP while dozens of Democratic incumbents are scrambling to keep their jobs.
Democratic leaders are on the defensive, making the case they can still retain the majority in November while playing defense in districts they weren’t expecting to be concerned about earlier in the cycle.
As the election environment has worsened for Democrats amid troubling new economic and polling data, Republicans have become increasingly bullish in their projections of major House gains.
National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) vice chair, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), predicted Wednesday that as many as 80 seats are in play this fall.
Full story: Republican chances of taking House in November on the rise – The Hill’s Ballot Box