Democratic prospects in the House have dimmed slightly since the last "Race Ratings" update and Republicans are positioned to retain control of the lower chamber, according to an analysis by The Hill.
The Hill projects Democrats will pick up 10 to 15 seats, leaving them short of the 25 seats needed to win the House.
Since the last update, Democrats lost a leading target when two California Republicans made the runoff in the state’s new “top two” primary system in a Democratic-leaning district, taking one seat off the board for them.
Their preferred candidate won the primary to face off against Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), making that seat a “toss-up,” while the Democrat who won the nomination in a toss-up open seat in California’s Central Valley badly needs to improve on his fundraising, moving that race from a “toss-up” to “Lean Republican.”
Elsewhere, an ongoing FBI investigation into Connecticut Democrat Chris Donovan’s fundraising led to some rough headlines and prompted him to fire two top staffers — his race moves from “Likely Democratic” to “Lean Democratic” — while primary results made challenging seats in Arkansas and South Carolina even more difficult for the party.
Last updated September 14, 2012
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