Cook Political Report tilts 18 House races toward Democrats
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House races in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Washington, Michigan and more are shifting in Democrats' direction, according to a Friday update from the closely watched Cook Political Report.
Why it matters: The GOP's midterm outlook was already bleak, anchored by an unpopular war and high fuel prices. But staving off a blue resurgence, despite heavy spending, is looking increasingly complicated as Election Day approaches.
Driving the news: Cook's new moves put the likely midterm outcome at Democrats picking up nine to 19 seats, a range of 224 to 234. The shifts include:
- Five seats — in Iowa, Pennsylvania and Washington — moving from toss ups to leaning toward Democrats, including Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' (R-Iowa) tough rematch race against Democrat Christina Bohannan.
- Cook also nudged four races — in Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina and Virginia — from leaning toward Republicans to toss-ups. That's good news for Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.), whose district was warped by mid-decade redistricting.
- Republicans' hold on other races in Kentucky, Maine, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Indiana slipped, shifting them to Lean R or Likely R. Meanwhile, Democrats' hold on Nevada, New York and Nebraska races tightened.
What they're saying: "House races are won in the districts, one by one, with battle-tested candidates and messages that work," NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said in a statement provided to Axios.
- "Pundits in D.C. can keep guessing, but voters on the ground have a clear contrast between common sense and crazy," he said, adding that "in November, we're going to win."
Friction point: President Trump is crisscrossing the country to campaign for GOP candidates. But with the midterms serving as a referendum on his White House, his polling may well be a liability for Republicans in tight races.
- Republicans have quietly distanced themselves from the president — and it appears even some Trump voters get it: A Politico poll out Friday found that some one-in-four who voted for him in 2024 say the Republican candidate in their district would be better off breaking from Trump.
Zoom in: Of the seats labeled "Toss Up" by Cook, six are held by Democrats, and 15 belong to Republicans.
- Per Cook, Democrats need to win 20% of the toss-up races to reach a majority, assuming the seats that favor them in the nonpartisan analysis go Democrats' way.
The bottom line: The political environment keeps deteriorating for Republicans, even after the dust cleared from the redistricting battle and with their financial advantage.
Go deeper: House GOP leaders admit redistricting fell short
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a response from the NRCC.
