Fox News is now predicting Democrats will take control of the House in November midterms
For the first time this year, Fox News is projecting that Democrats will win control of the House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections.
In its latest power rankings Tuesday, the conservative outlet forecast that Democrats are favored to capture 219 seats — one more than the 218 needed for a majority. Republicans were favored in 198 races, while 18 contests remained toss-ups.
“The House is likely out of reach for the GOP this year,” according to the Fox News analysis. “The Democratic Party has enjoyed a lead in the House all year. Now, as another 20 races shift leftward, this forecast sees the Democrats taking control.”
On a “good night” for Democrats, the party could win roughly 237 seats, securing a commanding majority and giving leadership plenty of room to manage internal dissent. A “good night” for Republicans, meanwhile, would yield about 216 seats — still two short of a majority, according to Fox News.
Currently the GOP has a razor-thin majority in the House, holding 218 seats to the Democrats’ 214.
The Senate, where the GOP holds 53 seats, remains a toss-up, with both parties projected to take 47 seats. Six races remain too tight to predict an outcome.
On Tuesday night, Fox News anchor John Roberts remarked on the latest rankings, which are routinely updated.
“The latest Fox News power rankings predict that Democrats will take control of the House,” Roberts said. “It is the first such forecast this cycle. Key factors include President Trump’s low approval rating and the Democratic lead on the generic ballot.”
With just weeks to go until Election Day, numerous political analysts have concluded that Democrats are favored to take control of the House from Republicans.
“The forecast has held relatively steady over the past couple weeks,” analyst Nate Silver wrote on Tuesday. “Democrats remain strong favorites to retake the House. And in the Senate, they continue [to] lead in our polling averages of the six likeliest tipping-point states.”
President Donald Trump’s approval rating is hovering near historic lows as voters express frustration over the ongoing Iran war, soaring gas prices and inflation.
Trump has vowed to send $5,000 to every American adult citizen if Republicans maintain control of both chambers of Congress in the midterms. The pledge has sparked questions about the legality of such a massive expenditure.
Historically, the midterm elections see the president’s party lose seats in both the House and the Senate.
