Midterm Elections! How many seats do we need to take control?

[durrrty libby]

How many seats are up for grabs?
Do we have viable candidates?

This has probably been discussed before, but I missed it.

I can’t imagine 3 more years of these maniacs on the loose.

I need hope. Got any?

[Bluzmann57]

1. Every House seat in America is up for election

I believe the Dems need 12 seats to take control, but I'm not real sure about that.

[wryter2000]

2. 6 more in the Senate

Currently, we have 44 with one independent who's no repug.

Burns is in trouble because of Abramoff now.
Santorum was already in trouble.
Hope is good for Hacket in Ohio.
Can Franken beat Coleman?

I've probably forgotten someone. I really want the House, though.

[AndyTiedye]

4. Hacket Would Win a Fair Election, But it's Ohio, So He Hasn't Got a Chance

They'll steal it from Hacket, even if he's up 30 points.

[pbartch]

7. I think you are wrong.

[AndyTiedye]

10. I HOPE I am Wrong, But With Blackwell Counting The Votes...

...what could possibly stop him from handing the race to whatever
Republican is running, no matter how far behind he might be in the polls?

They flipped over 30% of the vote in this month's "election" in Ohio.

[Josh]

9. Franken is looking to run in 2008

But Mark Dayton has retired in MN so it's an open seat in 2006.

I wish Fritz Mondale would run - just so the voters of Minnesota could apologise for defeating him in 2002 when he ran to take over Wellstone's seat. But it doesn't look like that'll ever happen. He's a little old now.

[wryter2000]

3. Welcome to DU, btw

You've come to the right place for political analysis. :bounce:

[durrrty libby]

5. Thanks

for the quick response,the hope and the welcome!

[Stevepol]

6. Just one seat needed: the programmer's seat at Diebold.

[Daylin Byak]

8. Al Franken will not be needed for this election.

He wants to go after Norm Coleman's seat, but since Coleman was elected in 2002 his seat won't be up for re-election until 2008, 3 years.

Hackett or Brown for U.S Senate in '06!!!

[Awsi Dooger]

11. We need to flip about 15 House seats

Extremely unlikely in one cycle although if the GOP continues to implode a definite maybe. I think it's something like 231-202 right now. There's a special election coming up in southern California next week but the Republican is almost certain to win, based on the primary results in October where he nearly avoided a runoff despite maybe 25 people on the ballot. It was a Republican seat in the first place but the guy who held it long term bolted a few months ago after being appointed to the Security and Exchange Commission. They wouldn't have picked him for the SEC post if the district wasn't considered safe.

In the Senate we need to net 6 seats. A year ago the conventional wisdom had us playing defense in the 2006 senate races but now it looks much more promising with Santorum in trouble and potentially DeWine.