The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Democrats push to extend control of the House
WASHINGTON — Democrats pushed Tuesday to cement control of the House for two more years with perhaps an even larger majority, banking on anxiety over the pandemic, suburban indignation with President Donald Trump and a fundraising advantage.
Over a dozen incumbents of both parties from safe districts were easily reelected as polls began closing in some eastern and Midwestern states. But early results weren’t conclusive yet in heatedly contested districts in Virginia, Georgia, Ohio and North Carolina.
Republicans were hoping to oust some of the 29 Democrats in districts Trump won in 2016, mostly freshmen, in districts ranging from upstate New York to rural New Mexico.
But nearly all Democratic incumbents in potentially vulnerable districts were outspending their GOP challengers, often by vast margins. Democrats were also aiming millions at Republican-held seats from areas around Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Indianapolis, and even GOP strongholds like Little Rock, Arkansas, western Colorado and Alaska.
Both parties’ operatives agreed that the GOP was mostly playing defense and would be fortunate to limit Democratic gains to a modest single digits. Democrats control the House 232-197, with five open seats and one independent. It takes 218 seats to control the chamber.
“The president’s numbers have fallen off a bit in districts he won by double-digits, he’s not performing at that level in some places, and that’s creating a bit of a down-ballot drag,“said GOP strategist Liesl Hickey.
Hanging over the contests were the coronavirus pandemic and the wounded economy, which voters ranked as top concerns, according to AP VoteCast, a national survey of the electorate. The virus has killed 232,000 people in the U.S. and cases are rising in nearly every state, while millions have lost jobs.
Should Democrat Joe Biden defeat Trump and Democrats win the Senate majority, the party would fully control the White House and Congress for only the second time since 1995.
They last held the presidency, Senate and House in 2009 and 2010, the first two years of Barack Obama’s presidency.
A larger Democratic majority would make it easier for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to pass party priorities that include expanding health care coverage and creating jobs with new infrastructure projects.
After a two-year run as one of her party’s most effective counterpoints to Trump, the 80-yearold Pelosi is all but certain to serve two more years running the House.
On an Election Day conference call, Pelosi expressed certainty that Democrats will “solidly hold
the House.” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois pointed to races in GOPtilting districts in Arkansas,
Virginia, Indiana and New York’s Long Island and predicted, “We are going to see some wins in those deep red districts.”