October 11th ratings

House ratings, October 2008

In the first two weeks after the GOP convention, the party's brand looked to have improved enough to boost the prospects of congressional Republicans. At the very least, it seemed that the long-shot down-the-ballot races (be it the Kentucky and Georgia Senate races or the conservative open seats like MO-09 and AL-02) were getting out of reach for Democrats. But the Republicans' recovery was short lived.

The financial meltdown erased the GOP's early September gains, and the fundamentals once again favor Democrats. We are back to where we were after the spring's three special election: Democrats are in a position to score big gains on Election Day, and districts that would not be competitive in a neutral environment could now fall in Democratic hands. The battle is clearly being waged on Republican turf (34 GOP seats and 11 Democratic seats are highly vulnerable right now) and it could still worsen, as the field of play is shifting towards Democrats.

If the Republicans' situation does not improve over the next four weeks, there is no telling just how low the GOP could sink.

To make matters worse for the GOP, the financial disparity between the DCCC and RNCC is proving to be just as decisive as Republicans feared - and this is an advantage Democrats did not enjoy two years ago. Money counts for more in House races than in Senate and presidential contests, and the DCCC has already flexed its financial muscle by pouring in hundreds of thousands in dozens of districts.

Here is an overview of the current situation:

• Likely/Safe Democratic: 221 seats
  
• Lean/Likely/Safe Democratic: 238 seats
  
• Toss-ups: 29 seats
  
• Lean/Likely/Safe Republican: 165 seats
• Likely/Safe Republican: 153 seats
  

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History of House ratings:

• October: Can Democrats keep up the 2006 parallel?
• August: Will the DCCC succeed in putting the top tier in play?
• June: The field continues to shift towards Democrats, particularly in New York
• February: As many more races get competitive, Democrats keep clear edge
• November: How many more Republican retirements?
• October: Democrats feel better as GOP faces worrisome retirements
• September: Democrats poised to keep majority

Republican seats, Likely take-over (3)

• NY-13 (open, last updated October 5th): Who knew Republicans had it in them to make this race even more chaotic? Just all the spring and summer confusion seemed to have given way to a slow wait for Democrat McMahon's certain victory, a new chapter was written in the civil war of Staten Island's Republican Party when GOP nominee Staniere squashed an attempt to grant him a judicial nomination to perhaps pave the way for Rep. Fossella's return on the ballot.
• NY-25 (open, last updated October 5th): An open seat in a blue-leaning district is a gift to Democrats in a year in which they are favored. Note that the DCCC has stepped in and spent more than $100,000 in ads so far; should that be taken as a sign that the race could be tighter than we are thinking or as confirmation that Democrats have enough money for insurance policies? The only potential danger for Democratic candidate Maffei right now is his connection with Rep. Rangel.
  
• VA-11 (open, polls, last updated October 5th): The situation is the same as in NY-25, and the DCCC has spent some money here as well.

Republican seats, Lean take-over (9)

• AK-AL (Rep. Young, polls, last updated October 5th): There was much riding on the GOP primary between incumbent Rep. Don Young and Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell. Alaska is conservative, and Republicans would have had an edge had they been able to get rid of their ethically challenged incumbent. It took three weeks for all ballots to be counted in an inexplicably slow process. Don Young finally prevailed by a few hundred votes - and that was great news for Democratic nominee Ethan Berkowitz, who leads Young in all recent polls. Young is an important figure of Alaska politics, and he could still make a comeback - perhaps fueled by Palin's coattails. That said, Ted Stevens' trial will remind Alaska voters of the corruption problem of state Republicans, and that is bound to hurt Young.
• AZ-01 (Open, last updated October 5th): The GOP needed to field strong candidates to have a chance to hold on to these swing open seats, and Sydney Hay is not as strong a contender as Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick. The financial disparity between the two candidates will also make a difference.
  
• CO-04 (Rep. Musgrave, polls, last updated October 5th): Musgrave consistently under-performs her district's Republican lean, and she holds the dubious distinction of being the 2006 House candidate to win with the lowest share of the vote (45%). Now, Democrats are heavily targeting her, and so are independent groups. Musgrave has been targeted by the largest outside expenditure of any district: the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund just bought a stunning $650,000 worth of air time. A late August independent poll and a mid-September Democratic poll found Democratic nominee Betsy Markey leading Musgrave outside of the MoE - never a good place for an incumbent to be.
• IL-11 (Open, polls, last updated October 5th): In no GOP-held district has the DCCC spent as much money as in IL-11 - about $850,000 already. While this will go a long way towards helping Democratic nominee Debbie Halvorson, GOP nominee Marty Ozinga has deep pockets and could stay competitive financially without the NRCC's help. And considering that this seat seemed all but lost for Republicans a few months ago when they didn't even have a candidate, it is miraculous that they have managed to get Democrats to spend this much money here. Halvorson has been hurt by her belonging to the leadership of the state Democratic Party given the deep unpopularity of Gov. Blagojevich. Competing internal polls in late September showed Halvorson leading by 2% in Ozinga's poll and by 8% in her own.
• NM-01 (Open, polls, last updated October 5th): GOP nominee Darren White is one of the Republicans' strongest recruits this cycle, and it is unlucky for him he is running in a year whose fundamentals favor Democrats. John Kerry only won the district by 3% in 2004 but Barack Obama could win it by a comfortable margin, and that should help Democratic nominee Martin Heinrich who already appears to have a slight edge. This race remains highly competitive, however, and the DCCC is pouring in hundreds of thousands of dollars already.
• NV-03 (Rep. Porter, polls, last updated October 5th): Porter recently decided that it was urgent for him to release an internal poll which shows him leading within the margin error and at a dismal 41%. That tells you just about all you need to know on Porter's vulnerability. The incumbent is being helped by Freedom's Watch, and that money will come in very handy to strike back against the DCCC's attack ads.
• NY-29 (Rep. Kuhl, last updated October 11th): Republicans currently hold six seats in the Empire State, and Democrats have been targeting four of them - including three in upstate New York. Of these four seats, NY-29 is the only one featuring an incumbent. Rep. Kuhl barely survived the 2006 cycle, and Democrat Eric Massa is back for a rematch. It is never easy to topple an incumbent, but New York's Republican Party is in disarray and Kuhl looks highly vulnerable. Three polls released over the past week (one by SUSA, one by Research 2000 and one released by Democrats) show Massa leading outside of the margin of error, with Kuhl in the low 40s. That's not a good place to be for an incumbent. Add to that the DCCC's commitment to fund this race, and Democrats have a slight edge.
• OH-15 (Open, last updated October 11th): If the political environment didn't favor Democrats, Republicans would be very well positioned to defy the odds and retain this district. Mary Jo Kilroy hasn't been a strong campaigner (she was favored to pick-up the seat in 2006 but fell short in one of the GOP's most unexpected victories of the cycle) and Republican state Sen. Stivers is a strong recruit. But this is not a neutral year, and any Republican would face an uphill fight in an open seat in a swing district like OH-15. A recent SUSA poll and an internal DCCC poll find Kilroy leading by single-digits, and that is where the race should be on paper as well: Kilroy underperforming but able to hold on to a slight lead. Add to that the DCCC's commitment to win this seat over (they have already spent more than $1 million dollar!), and the picture looks even bleaker for the GOP.
• OH-16 (Open, last updated October 5th): Democrats were hoping this would be a fairly easy pick-up, but Republican state Sen. Schuring has stayed alive in a district that tilts Republican at the presidential level. A recent SUSA poll showed that state Sen. Boccieri is ahead, but he has yet to close the deal. The DCCC has already spent more than $800,000 attacking Schuring, and that money could make the difference in absence of a GOP response.

Democratic seats, Lean take-over (3)

• LA-06 (Rep. Cazayoux, last updated October 5th): Newly representing a heavily Republican Southern district, Cazayoux has to rely on strong support from the district's black electorate but the independent candidacy of African-American lawmaker Michael Jackson complicates that equation. Cazayoux released a poll in September showing him leading by 16%, with 9% for Jackson, but it is difficult to believe that the combined total of two Democratic candidates in such a conservative district could be close to 58%.
• PA-11 (Rep. Kanjorski, last updated October 5th): Kanjorski should not be in troube. He is an entrenched Democratic incumbent whose district is not particularly conservative running in a year that is shaping up to be a strong one for Democrats. But the fact that he has not faced a competitive challenge for years has weakened his hold on the district and it might already be too late for him to save himself. Lou Barletta, the very conservative Republican candidate, is leading in most polls - and an independent survey released in September found the incumbent at a truly dismal 35%. Kanjorski's only hope is to ride the DCCC's money to discredit Barletta and eek out a narrow victory; the DCCC has indeed been pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars for months now in attack ads against Barletta, and the most recent spots - hitting Barletta for supporting the privatization of Social Security - could be particularly damaging in this electoral climate. One important question is how the electorate will react to Kanjorski's leading role in crafting the bailout.
• TX-22 (Rep. Lampson, last updated October 5th): Lampson's hope for survival rests in the parties' financial disparities - if the DCCC spends heavily on his behalf and the GOP fails to answer, could he survive in what is a very heavily conservative district? Unfortunately for Lampson, Freedom's Watch is ensuring a Republican presence on the air.

Republican seats, Toss-up (22)

• AL-02 (Open, polls, last updated October 5th): Bobby Bright is perhaps the only Democrat who could have made this heavily conservative district competitive - perhaps because he is not a Democrat to start with. But competitive it is! The Montgomery mayor will also be helped by the endorsement of an important Republican mayor from the district, and his financial situation is boosted by the DCCC's investment.
• CA-04 (Open, polls, last updated October 5th): This is a heavily Republican district, and the GOP candidate is an important figure in the state's conservative circles. But the ethical trouble of outgoing Rep. Doolittle have given Democrats an opening, and their candidate Charlie Brown has already introduced himself to the district's voters (he got 46% of the vote in 2006). The GOP thinks it built an advantage by using footage of Charlie Brown in military uniform at an anti-war rally, but recent surveys have found a dead heat, with internal polls for both campaigns finding their candidates holding the edge and an independent survey giving a slight edge to Brown.
• CT-04 (Rep. Shays, last updated October 5th): As expected, this race is proving contentious. The only available poll shows the two tied, and they are on equal footing financially, and the DCCC's money is being outmatched by a big investment on Shay's behalf (more than $500,000) by the National Association of Realtors PAC.
• FL-08 (Rep. Keller, last updated October 5th): This Orlando-based district is one of the most worrisome developments for House Republicans. Ric Keller was not expected to be so obviously vulnerable, but his weakness became evident in his primary, when he only received 55% of the vote against a weak opponent. Now, he is facing Alan Grayson, a wealthy Democratic businessman who recently released a poll finding him narrowly ahead of the incumbent (Republicans have not released a counter-poll). Keller hopes he can eek out a win because of Grayson's outspokenly liberal record, particularly his opposition to the Iraq War and his connection to Code Pink. But can a Democrat really suffer this year for having opposed the war?
• FL-21 (Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, polls, last updated October 5th): An early September SUSA poll found Democratic challenger Raul Martinez with a tiny lead, removing any doubt that this Southern Florida district is a prime pick-up opportunity. Diaz-Balart's hope for survival rests on the high negatives Martinez earned during his controversial tenures as the mayor of Hialeah. Diaz-Balart's ads have accused Martinez of using his office for financial gain and have hinted at his involvement in drug trafficking! Meanwhile, an independent Cuban-American group is hitting Diaz-Balart for adopting too strict a line on US-Cuba relations, and Patriot Majority is running spots on Martinez's behalf.
• FL-24 (Rep. Feeney, last updated October 5th): Whenever an incumbent feels the need to release an ad saying “I’m very sorry” a few weeks from Election Day, you can be sure that his internal polls show him in big trouble. Ever since lobbyist Jack Abramoff has been under the spotlight, Feeney has faced ethics questions over a 2003 golfing trip he took to Scotland and that was paid by Abramoff; and in mid-September, he took the dramatic (and rather desperate) move of airing a 30-second ad directly addressing this story and apologizing for the “rookie mistake” and for having “embarrassed” himself and his constituents. This forces an issue at the center of the political discussion, and it also means that Feeney (who was already being outraised by his opponent Suzanne Kosmas) is blowing a significant amount of his cash on hand for this ad. The DCCC is now up on air against Feeney, blasting him as "one of the most corrupt politicians." This doesn't look good for the incumbent.
• FL-25 (Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, polls, last updated October 5th): The dynamics of the race are very similar to those of FL-21, as the second of the Diaz-Balart brothers also faces a challenge to his hold on Cuban-American votes. Polling has shown the race is tight, but the main difference plays to the Republican's disadvantage: Democratic candidate Joe Garcia isn't as controversial a figure as Raul Martinez, and that gives the GOP fewer openings.
• IL-10 (Rep. Kirk)
• KY-02 (Open, polls, last updated October 5th): Few people expected this district to be this competitive when Rep. Lewis announced his retirement at the beginning of the year, but there is no doubt that it has turned into a crucial battleground: polls have shown a dead heat for months, and the DCCC decided to invest in the district last week - a stunning development given how Republican this area is. However, the DCCC's first move backfired when local TV stations refused to air an ad attacking Republican candidate Guthrie, allowing him to claim the high ground.
• LA-04 (Open, last updated October 5th): The primary was only held on October 4th (it was postponed because of Hurricane Ike) and the nominee of both parties will be decided in a runoff. The good news for Democrats is that Paul Carmouche, a DA with strong name recognition, is almost assured of winning his party's nod on November 4th as he got 48% of the vote yesterday; the Republican primary should be more contentious, as the top two candidates came within a few percentage points of each other. The general election will be held on December 6th, which should help Carmouche overcome the district's conservative lean.
• MI-07 (Rep. Walberg, polls, last updated October 5th): Not only are polls showing a tight race in this conservative-leaning district, but McCain's sudden and unexpected decision to pull out of Michigan leaves a void in the Republican ground game in the Wolverine State - and that could prove a huge headache for the state's down-ballot Republicans.
• MI-09 (Rep. Knollenberg, last updated October 11th): Rep. Knollenberg's prospects have collapsed over the past month. This is a swing district (Bush prevailed with 51% of the vote in 2004), and it is filled with Reagan Democrats - one of the constituencies that have been moving to the Democratic Party because of the financial crisis. And McCain's decision to pull out of the state is devastating for Knollenberg, who was partly relying on the presidential campaign's turnout effort to mobilize his own supporters. Democratic candidate Peters has been polling ahead or even; Peters leads by 11% in a DCCC poll, but the DCCC's internal numbers in many districts have been far more favorable for Democrats than those of other firms; an independent poll and an internal poll for Peters find the race within single digits. That sounds more believable, but what also seems certain is that Knollenberg is way under 50% - in fact, he looks to be stuck in the low 40s, deadly territory for an incumbent, especially when he can't count on a superior ground game to help him.
• MN-03 (Open, last updated October 5th): The battle lines have been drawn for months in a district that is one of the ultimate battlegrounds of this year's House battle, and a recent SUSA poll showed the race within the margin of error. The local Republican Party has been justly denounced for running a racialized campaign, hinting that Indian-American Democratic candidate Ashwin Madia does not fit "the demographics of the district" and even criticizing the young veteran of the Iraq War for not being married.
• NC-08 (Rep. Hayes, polls, last updated October 5th): The DCCC's refusal to invest anything in this district in 2006 surely cost them one more pick-up, as Larry Kissell was about 300 votes away from unseating the incumbent. This year, the DCCC is taking this district seriously and is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking Hayes. Those ads appear to be taking their toll, as Hayes's own internal polls have shown him leading within the margin of error. Kissell's latest internal shows him with a comfortable lead.
• NJ-03 (Open, last updated October 5th): Along with the two Ohio open seats, IL-11 and NJ-07, this is an open seat Democrats were once hoping they would win comfortably - but the only polls we have seen point to a dead heat, and the DCCC has already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars. One key factor here is the candidates' own financial situation. Democratic candidate Adler has a significant fundraising advantage, and it is unlikely his Republican opponent can pull this out unless he benefits from the NRCC's help. This race could soon move back to the lean take-over column if the NRCC does not invest in the district.
• NJ-07 (Open, last updated October 5th): The situation in this Dem-leaning district parallels that of NJ-03: an open seat it should be winning more easily that the DCCC is pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars in. Here again, spending disparities could make a difference: this is a very expensive district to play in because it falls in the New York City market, and that could prove all Democrats need to eek out a victory. However, Republican hopes rest on the high negatives Linda Stender earned from her 2006 race, when the GOP had played on the "pun" Stender/Spender to tag her as a "big spender." The Republicans are using the same strategy this year in a childish but effective ad campaign.
• NM-02 (Open, polls, last updated October 5th): The Democratic candidate, wealthy oil executive (and self-funder) Harry Teague, looks surprisingly strong. A recent independent poll even found him with a narrow lead. Republican Ed Tinsley, who also has ties to the oil industry and who is also self-funding part of his campaign, is not able to rely on the district's strong Republican lean because Teague has a base of conservative supporters from his days as the county commissioner of a Republican area. The DCCC is helping Teague and has already invested more than a quarter-million dollars.
• NY-26 (Open, polls): This has been one of the most eventful races over the past two months. When Tom Reynolds announced he would retire, Democrats sensed this was a big opportunity for them to continue their take-over of New York politics. But when the DCCC's favored candidate Jon Powers and multi-millionaire Jack Davis spent weeks hurling insults at each other, a third candidate, environment attorney Alice Kryzan, came out of nowhere to win the Democratic nod. But the DCCC is remaining committed to contesting the district and is now on air against GOP nominee Chris Lee; Kryzan is also being boosted by Emily's List. A recent independent poll conducted by SUSA found Lee leading by double-digits, but Democrats got good news recently when Jon Powers removed himself from the Working Families Parties party ballot line and will not play spoiler.
• OH-01 (Rep. Chabot, polls, last updated October 5th): Chabot barely survived in 2006, and he has just as difficult a race to deal with this year. More than in most House races, the result could depend on Barack Obama's coattails. This district has a substantial African-American population, and Obama's ground game will thus heavily target sporadic black voters here; any increase in the share of black voters would naturally boost House candidate Driehaus.
• PA-03 (Rep. English, last updated October 5th): Who knew? While this district had long been on the list of vulnerable seats, few people expected English to be this obviously vulnerable months from the election. But not only does English now trail in an independent poll, he is also the beneficiary of the NRCC's first (and so far only) defensive ad buy. That is certainly welcome help for English, but it is also a testament to how weak his standing is. The GOP is hoping to move quickly to define Dahlkemper, but the DCCC is pouring in money of its own.
• WY-AL (Open)

Democratic seats, Toss-up (7)

• AL-05 (Open, last updated October 5th): Democrats thought that they had built a slight edge in the toughest open seat they are defending, but Republicans are now going all out against Parker Griffith. GOP candidate Wayne Parker has obtained an internal peer review from Griffith's radiation oncologist days. The document charges that Griffith under-radiated patients at his cancer treatment center in order to charge them more money; Parker is running an ad devoted to the issue, and Democrats have been forced on the defensive.
• CA-11 (Rep. McNerney)
• FL-16 (Rep. Mahoney, last updated October 5th): Republicans nominated attorney Tom Rooney as their candidate, and everything points to a highly competitive race in Mark Foley's old district. Mahoney has never been a strong candidate for Democrats, but I am downgrading the race because Rooney's recent internal poll showing Mahoney with a 7% lead showed that I had gotten ahead of myself in rating the contest lean take-over.
  
• GA-08 (Rep. Marshall, last updated October 5th): How will the politics of the bailout impact Marshall's reelection race? He is one of the rare vulnerable incumbents to have voted "yes" on both House votes, and he quickly went up with an ad explaining his decision. That is a clear sign that Marshall is worried his opponent (who came out in opposition to the bailout, though only after the first House vote) could make this into a powerful campaign issue.
• KS-02 (Rep. Boyda, polls)
• NH-01 (Rep. Shea-Porter, polls, last updated October 5th): Former Rep. Jeb Bradley narrowly won the Republican primary and earned a rematch against Carol Shea-Porter. Recent polls have shown a horse race, with Shea-Porter trailing in UNH and leading by 1% in Research 2000. The outcome of this election will probably be decided by whether the GOP brand has improved among New Hampshire independents over the past two years. The DCCC has already poured in nearly $700,000 to help Shea-Porter.
• WI-8 (Rep. Kagen, polls, last updated October 5th): This is the first Democratic-held district that the NRCC invested in, a sure sign that the GOP believes this is a true opportunity. The DCCC is helping Kagen, but they have not released their own polls of the race - something the GOP has been willing to do, pointing to a dead heat.

Republican seats, Lean retention (12)

• AZ-03 (Rep. Shadegg, last updated October 5th): Another stunning no one expected to be competitive this late in the cycle, but the DCCC's unexpected decision to dump more than $200,000 in an ad buy against Shadegg suggests that the veteran Republican incumbent is more endangered than commonly thought.
• ID-01 (Rep. Sali, polls, last updated October 5th): In 2004, Bush got 69% of the vote in this district, but Rep. Sali is so hated by the state's Republican establishment that a Democrat actually has a chance of pulling a giant upset. Two internal polls for the Minnick campaign show him with a narrow lead over Sali. However, Minnick is in the low 40s in both polls - and the undecided voters are likely to be Republicans who can't yet get themselves to admit they will vote for Sali. And the DCCC has not invested anything in this race since a small media buy in early August.
• MD-01 (Open, last updated October 5th): It seems incredible that such a conservative and gerrymandered district would be this competitive, but Democrats are sensing that the divisive GOP primary in which Andy Harris knocked off a moderate Republican incumbent is a golden opportunity for them to make a move and see if they can take advantage of GOP divisions. After all, outgoing Rep. Gilchrest endorsed Democratic candidate Kratovil. And the DCCC confirmed that they were taking this race seriously - and not just for spinning purposes - by unexpectedly starting to air ads in the district in late September.
• MN-06 (Rep. Bachmann, last updated October 11th): Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg is a solid contender but he had failed to get much traction up until now, and Rep. Bachmann was considered relatively safe this year, but the NRCC evidently does not feel this way as they are reportedly divesting resources out of highly competitive MN-03 and into MN-06. That will certainly help protect Bachmann (especially if the DCCC doesn't move in) but it still signals that she is more endangered than expected.
• MO-06 (Rep. Graves, polls)
• MO-09 (Open, polls, last updated October 5th): This district remains conservative-leaning, and that should be enough to power Republican candidate Luetkemeyer to victory. Two independent polls conducted in September - during the GOP's short-lived recovery - suggest that Luetkemeyer has a relatively comfortable lead. But this is a district in which the financial crisis could have an effect. For one, it could immunize Democratic candidate Judy Baker from attacks on her liberal record; second, it has given the DCCC an opening to attack Luetkemeyer on Social Security, an issue that is always a winner for Democrats. That the DCCC is spending any money on this district is a story in and of itself, and will help Baker make up some of the district's Republican lean.
• NE-02 (Rep. Terry, last updated October 11th): Democrats have been mentioning this race for a while, but this is conservative enough a district for a Republican incumbent to be given the benefit of the doubt. But the DCCC's unexpected decision to invest significant resources in the race - they have already spent more than $200,000 - puts it on the list of competitive races, especially when you combine the DCCC's investment to Obama's efforts in the state (the presidential campaign has opened 2 field offices in Omaha, forcing Sarah Palin to come and campaign). Democrats are making a rare push to organize Omaha, and that puts NE-02 in play.
• NV-02 (Rep. Heller, last updated October 11th): Nevada Democrats are riding the momentum of big registration gains, while Republicans are being weighed down by the unpopularity of their governor, not to mention the GOP's national difficulties. That gives an opening to Jill Derby, who is back for a rematch in this conservative district. An independent poll recently found Rep. Heller leading but under 50% and in single-digits, so the race is certainly competitive.
• OH-02 (Rep. Schmidt, last updated October 5th): Schmidt maintains a lead in recent polling, but she remains under 50% - dangerous territory for any incumbent. This confirms that she has been unable to solidify her position in what is a very conservative district. Yet, this is her first time she is running in a presidential year, and McCain's coattails might help. This is one district in which a third party candidacy could affect the final results.
• VA-02 (Rep. Drake, last updated October 5th): A recent internal poll for the Nye campaign suggests that Drake isn't as safe as the GOP was hoping she would be, but she does retain an edge. Obama's ground game in the Old Dominion could be very helpful for Nye to score an upset here.
• WA-08 (Rep. Reichert, polls, last updated October 11th): This should be one of the Democrats' top priorities this cycle. Rep. Reichert barely survived against Democratic challenger and netroots favorite Darcy Burner in 2006 (51% to 49%) and Burner is back for a rematch. She has proved a solid fundraiser, and Obama should help bring out the Democratic base. In the current pro-Democratic climate, races like this should be moving towards Democrats; yet, multiple independent polls (including a couple from SUSA and one from Research 2000 released this week) find Reichert with a comfortable lead and hovering around the 50% mark. One explanation is that the heavy fire Burner endured in 2006 left her with high negative ratings and too bruised to mount as strong a challenge this year. Second, the Chamber of Commerce is targeting the Democrat with a sizable $400,000 ad buy, while the DCCC has not inexplicably not spent any resources on Burner's behalf.
• WV-02 (Rep. Capito)

Democratic seats, Lean retention (8)

• AZ-05 (Rep. Mitchell)
• AZ-08 (Rep. Giffords, polls)
• KY-03 (Rep. Yarmuth, polls)
• MS-01 (Rep. Childers)
• NY-20 (Rep. Gillibrand)
• OR-05 (Open)
• PA-04 (Rep. Altmire, last updated October 5th): This is a high priority district for the GOP, but the fact that the DCCC hasn't spent a dime to help Altmire for now is a good sign for the incumbent. A mid-September internal poll for the campaign of former Rep. Hart showed her trailing by 5%. That certainly means that Altmire is endangered, but for him to have a narrow edge in a Republican poll suggests he starts off with an edge.
• PA-10 (Rep. Carney, polls, last updated October 5th): This conservative district is one of the Republicans top targets, but the Democratic incumbent starts with a narrow advantage - as confirmed by the most recent polls. It is in districts such as these that Democratic gains in recent weeks could make themselves felt by immunizing Democrats against Republican attacks. Furthermore, the DCCC knows that Carney is endangered and is pouring in hundreds of thousands of dollars that the RNCC obviously cannot match.

Republican seats, likely retention (17)

• AL-03 (Rep. Rogers)
• FL-13 (Rep. Buchanan, last updated October 5th): Independent polls show Buchanan with a large lead over Jennings in this rematch of a controversial 2006 race. Complicating matters for Jennings is that Jan Schneider, the Democratic nominee in 2002 and 2004, will be on the ballot as an independent. She is expected to draw a substantial enough share of the vote to make the electoral math very difficult for Jennings to pull off.
• FL-15 (open)
  
• FL-18 (Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, polls, last updated October 5th): The third of the three Southern Florida districts, FL-18 is also the least competitive. Democratic candidate Annette Taddeo is a favorite of the netroots, but Ros-Lehtinen has simply shown little sign of vulnerability for now. The latest polls have her ahead by commanding margins.
• IL-06 (Rep. Roskam)
• IL-18 (Open, last updated October 5th): Aaron Schock is on his way to becoming the youngest members of the 111th Congress. An internal poll for his campaign finds him ahead by 30%, and, while that might be an exaggerated lead, Democrats have not released an internal poll of their own that would contradict those results. Perhaps the best sign of Democratic desperation came when Democratic candidate Callahan released a remake of the Daisy ad.
• LA-07 (Rep. Boustany)
• OH-07 (Open)
• OH-14 (Rep. LaTourette)
• PA-06 (Rep. Gerlach)
• PA-15 (Rep. Dent)
• PA-18 (Rep. Murphy)
• VA-05 (Rep. Goode)
• VA-10 (Rep. Wolf)
• TX-07 (Rep. Culberson, last updated October 11th): An independent poll showing a single-digit race and an incumbent under 50% is enough to warrant a race a place in these ratings. This contest could still move up depending on how aggressive Democrats are at pursuing it, but this is certainly an unlikely district for them to score a pick-up.
• TX-10 (Rep. McCaul):

Democratic seats, likely retention (11)

• CT-05 (Rep. Murphy)
• GA-12 (Rep. Barrow): Republican John Stone never caught fire in a district that tilts narrowly Democratic. Barrow barely survived in 2006, but he has had two more years to entrench himself since then.
• KS-03 (Rep. Moore): There isn't much action in this heavily conservative district that the GOP has been looking.
• IL-08 (Rep. Bean)
• IN-09 (Rep. Hill, polls, last updated October 11th): Republicans have not been able to gain as much traction as in past years for what is the fourth straight match-up between Baron Hill and Mike Sodrel. Hill won in 2002 and 2006, Sodrel won in 2004. Barack Obama's unexpected strength in the Hoosier State has undercut the GOP's hope that presidential coattails would carry Sodrel through the finish line as they did in 2004, not to mention that Hill will benefit from Obama's strong ground game while the McCain campaign has spent little time organizing Indiana. Recent independent polls have found Hill leading by double-digits.
• IL-14 (Rep. Foster)
• IN-08 (Rep. Ellsworth)
• NH-02 (Rep. Hodes)
• MN-01 (Rep. Walz, last updated October 5th): Walz leads by 18% in an internal poll released by his opponent. Enough said.
• OH-18 (Rep. Space)
• PA-08 (Rep. Murphy)
• TX-23 (Rep. Rodriguez)