COUNTRYWATCH SPECIAL REPORT: USA ELECTION 2008

by Dr. Denise Youngblood Coleman, Editor-in-Chief


5.  Election 2008:  The House of Representatives


The House of Representatives

Composition of House of Representatives:

Consists of 435 members, elected for two-year terms in single-seat constituencies

Elections:

Last held Nov. 7, 2006

Election results in 2006:

Based on the election of Nov. 7, 2006, Democrats held 233 seats in the House of Representatives, while Republicans won 202 seats.  Since then, the composition changed (by-elections etc. changing the makeup) to Democrats holding 236 seats and Republicans holding 199.

Early election forecast for 2008:

Democrats hold a healthy advantage currently in the House and are not expected to lose their position as the majority party.  As with the Senate, there is a good chance they may, in fact, bolster their majority. Polling data indicates a preference for Democratic candidates over Republican candidates on generic ballots, according to polling data.

Key races in 2008:

GOP held AK-AL:
Berkowitz (D) expected to win against Young (R)

Open seat AL-05)
Griffith (D) expected to win against Parker (R)

Open seat AZ-01
Kirkpatrick (D) expected to win against Hay (R)

GOP held AZ-03
Shadegg (R) expected to hold this seat against Lord (D)

Democratic  held  AZ-08
Gifford (D) told stave off Bee (R)

GOP held CA-04:
Brown (D)  challenging McClintock strongly

Open CA-04
McClintock (R) in fight with Brown (R)

Democrattic held CA-11:
McNerney (D) will hold seat against Andal (R)

GOP held CT-04:
Himes (D) and Shays (R)   in dead heat

GOP-held CO-04
Musgrave (R) could lose seat to Markey (D)

GOP held FL-08
Keller (R) in dead heat with Grayson (D)

GOP held FL-13:
Buchanan (R)  expected to hold off  Jennings (D)

Democratic-held FL-16
Mahoney (D) expected to lose seat to Rooney (R)

GOP held FL-18:
Ros-Lehtinen (R) 49 expected to hold off Taddeo (D)

GOP-held FL-21:
Diaz-Balart (R) in tough fight against  Martinez (D)

GOP-held FL-24
Feeney (R) at risk of losing seat to Kosmas (D)

GOP held FL-25:
Diaz-Balart (R) in tough fight against  Garcia (D) 

Democratic held GA-08
Marshall (D) should hold off Goddard (R)

GOP held ID-01:
Minnick (D) challenging  Sali (R)

GOP held IL-10:
Seals (D) challenging  Kirk (R) strongly

GOP held IL-11:
Halvorson (D)  with  lead against Ozinga (R)

GOP held IN-03
Souder (R) leading Montagano

Democratic held IN-09:
Hill (D) with lead against Sodrel (R) 43

Democratic held KS-o2
Boyda (D) expected to win against Jenkins (R)

Republican held KY-02:
Guthrie (R) looking to hold off Boswell (D) 43

Democratic held KY-03:
Yarmuth (D) should hold off Northrup (R)

Democratic held LA-06:
Cazayoux (D)  with advantage over Cassidy (R) 32

Open MD-01
harris (R) in the hunt along with Kravotil (D)

GOP held MI-07:
Schauer (D)  with advantage over Walberg (R)

GOP held MI-09:
Peters (D) ahea dof Knollberg (R)

GOP held MN-03:
Madia (D) strongly challenging Paulsen (R) 39

GOP held MN-06:
Bachman (R) at risk of losing seat to Tinklenberg (D)

GOP held MO-06:
Graves (R) holding off Barnes (D)

GOP held MO-09:
Luetkemeyer (R) trying to hold off Baker (D)

GOP held NV-03:
Titus (D)  strongly challenging  Porter (R)

Democratic held NH-01:
Shea-Porter (D) holding off Bradley (R)

GOP held NJ-03:
Myers (R) trailing Adler (D) 

GOP held NJ-07:
Lance (R)  trying to hold off ascendant Stender (D)

GOP held NM-01:
Heinrich (D)  challenging White (R) 

GOP held NM-02:
Teague (D) strongly challenging Tinsley (R)

GOP held NY-29:
Massa (D)  leading Kuhl

GOP held NY-26:
Kryzan (D)  in fight with Lee (R)

GOP held NC-08:
Kissell (D) leading  Hayes (R)

GOP held OH-01:
Driehaus (D) in dead heat with Chabot (R)

GOP held OH-02:
Schmidt (R)  leading Wulsin (D)

GOP held OH-15:
Kilroy (D) strongly challenging Stivers (R)

GOP held OH-16:
Boccieri (D)  leading  Schuring (R)

Open seat OR-05
Schraeder (D) expected to win against Erickson (R)

GOP held PA-03:
Dahlkemper (D) in dead heat with  English (R)

Democratic held PA-04:
Altmire (D) leading Hart (R)

Democratic held PA-10:
Carney (D) leading Hackett (R)

Democratic held PA-12
Murtha (D) expected to have tight race against Russell (R)

Republican held TX-07
Culberson (R) fighting off Skelly (D)

Democratic held TX-22
Lampson (D) trying to hold this seat against Olsen (R)

GOP held VA-02
DRake (R) expected to hold seat against Nye (D)

GOP held VA-05
Goode (R) hoping to hold seat against Perriello (D)

Open VA-11
Fimian (R) expected to lose to Connolly (D)

GOP held WA-08
Reichert (R) in tough fight against Burner (D)

Democratic held WI-08:
Kagen (D) leading Gard (R)

GOP held WY-AL:
Trauner (D) in tough race with  Lummis (R)

Projection --

Democrats expected to hold and extend control  of the House of Representatives --

CountryWatch projects that Democrats will easily hold the House of Representatives and are poised to pick up between 15 and 20 seats.  A tidal wave of more than 20 seats is possible depending on voter turnout.


Result --

Republicans lost 21 seats while Democrats made  gains for a net result of Republicans holding 178 seats in the lower house of Congress and Democrats extending their majority to 257.


Click on the following links  to get to other sections of the Special Election Report --  

1. The Road to the White House: Landscape and Issues

2.  Presidential Race: Presidential Primaries

3. Presidential Race: General Election

4. Congressional Elections: The Senate

5. Congressional Elections: The House of Representatives

6.  Governors Races