Key House races to watch at the US midterm elections
- Control of the House is expected to be determined by a few dozen districts, many of them in the American suburbs
- Democrats need a net increase of 23 seats to win back control
The path to power in the House winds through a few dozen districts, many of them suburban, in Tuesday’s election. Republicans defending their majority and Democrats looking to gain 23 seats they would need to win control.
After the first polls close in the eastern United States, the tallies will start revealing clues to where Americans stand in 2018 on immigration, guns, health care, gender equality in the #MeToo era – and who they want representing them in Washington during the next two years of Donald Trump’s presidency.
Some races to watch for those keeping score, listed in order of poll-closing times:
Kentucky
The ruby-red state known for the Derby and sweet bourbon is hosting one of the most competitive and expensive races in the country. The Lexington-area battle pits third-term Republican lawmaker Andy Barr against Democrat Amy McGrath, a retired US Marine fighter pilot. Trump won the 6th District by more than 15 percentage points in 2016. But with the help of carefully shaped campaign ads that went viral, McGrath holds the edge on campaign fundraising.
Polls in the district close at 6pm EST
Georgia
Red-hot Georgia is home to a House race that turns on issues of race and gun laws. Republican lawmaker Karen Handel narrowly won her seat in a special election last year that set a record for spending. Now her Democratic challenger is Lucy McBath, a former flight attendant turned gun control activist. McBath’s 17-year-old son, Jordan Davis, was killed by a white man at a service station in 2012 when the black teenager refused to lower the volume on the rap music in his car. The district north of Atlanta leans Republican, but Trump won it by only 1 percentage point.
Polls close at 7pm EST