Given the challenges President Trump and the Republicans have faced over the past few months, Democrats have reportedly set their sights on winning back the House in the 2018 midterm elections.
Given the challenges President Trump and the Republicans have faced over the past few months, Democrats have reportedly set their sights on winning back the House in the 2018 midterm elections.
According to Politico, liberal party leaders have reportedly met with more than 250 possible candidates thus far, and the background of their ideal person to run may be somewhat surprising--the profile includes someone with experience in the military and small business; being female or a political first-timer with kids also helps.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who won her seat last year, explained the focus on veterans by saying, “Especially among the younger generation of veterans, you have a community that is far less conservative than people might think.”
Based on historical trends and Trump’s low poll numbers, the Democrats have a strong chance of making some major gains in Congress, reports Salon.
According to the New York Magazine, "Thanks to a highly adverse Senate landscape in 2018 — Democrats must defend 25 seats, ten in states carried by Trump."
Thus, task of gaining the 24 House seats needed for a majority is considered a more realistic way to break the current Republican stronghold in Washington, notes the media outlet.
Political experts also warn that the Democrats should not forget their surprising 2016 election loss, with Harry Enten, an analyst for the statistics website FiveThirtyEight, saying in February, “Trump’s low approval rating is good news for Democrats. But they’ll have to work to capitalize on the national environment, or they might fall victim to the same structural forces that hurt [Hillary] Clinton and fail to take advantage of Trump’s unpopularity.”