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Hoyer stumping for Dems in California
Roughly nine months ahead of the year's high-stakes elections, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is in California this weekend stumping for House Democrats.
The minority whip will focus the visit on three Republican districts the Democrats are hoping to pluck from the GOP in November: One represented by freshman GOP Rep. Jeff Denham; another being vacated by retiring GOP Rep. Jerry Lewis; and a third, newly created by redistricting, that's being contested by Rep. Gary Miller, a seven-term Republican who opted to switch districts rather than challenge fellow GOP Rep. Ed Royce in a primary fight this year.
Hoyer's office characterized those districts as among "the best pick-up opportunities" in California.
The Democratic whip will also stump Saturday for Rep. Lois Capps, a seven-term Democrat who – as a result of the 2010 redistricting – is running for a more conservative seat cut from regions now represented by Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R), the majority whip, and Elton Gallegly, a 13-term Republican who's retiring at the end of the year.
Hoyer and the Democrats have a tough road ahead. Although party leaders have been increasingly optimistic they can take back the lower chamber in November, they'll need to steal 25 GOP seats to do it.
The Cook Political Report, a prominent election handicapper, indicated this week that, while the Republicans have 32 seats deemed most threatened, the Democrats have 19. If each party lost all the incumbent seats that are most threatened, the Democrats would pick up 13 seats – 12 shy of what they'd need to recapture the House majority.
Of the California races, Cook indicates that Capps is "likely" to return to Congress; Takano and Denham are "leaning" toward victory; and the Miller-Aguilar contest is a "toss-up."
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