Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Monday that his party faces a “real challenge” in holding on to its majority in the House.
In an interview with Fox News, Boehner predicted the GOP will keep control of the House, but sounded less certain than many of his Republican colleagues — and a number of nonpartisan prognosticators.
“I believe that we will, but we’ve got a real challenge,” he said when asked if Republicans will maintain control of the lower chamber.
The Ohio lawmaker put the odds at two-to-one that the GOP will be running the House in 2013.
“I would say that there is a two-in-three chance that we win control of the House again, but there’s a one-in-three chance that we could lose, and I’m being myself, frank. We’ve got a big challenge and we’ve got work to do,” he said.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) struck a more optimistic tone last week when he predicted the GOP will pick up seats in November.
“I’m very bullish on the House,” Cantor said. “I am very confident that we will strengthen our majority.”
Boehner is worried that Republican donors will take the House for granted and pour their money into the battle for the White House and the Senate.
For more on Boehner's interview, click here.
