Dems Confident GOP Race Could Gain Them 10 House Seats

Democrats are feeling confident the chaotic GOP presidential race may trigger a wave that could return the party to a majority in the House — with 10 seats viewed as particularly vulnerable, The Hill reports.

Democrats would need to gain 30 seats to retake the House, "an exceptionally tall order," with some of the districts still lacking a candidate, The Hill notes. 

Here are the 10 races described as the likely contests where Democrats will tie the GOP incumbent to the Republican presidential nominee at the top of the ballot:

• Minnesota GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen. The Hill notes the suburban Minneapolis district backed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the March 1 caucuses, making a Donald Trump or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz nomination a possible negative. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report recently shifted the race from the "Solid Republican” column to "Likely Republican."
• New York Rep. Tom Reed. His swing district has split during presidential cycles, and his endorsement of Trump will likely be used by Democrats, The Hill reports. Still, the Cook Political Report has upgraded his district from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican," The Hill reports.
• Iowa Rep. David Young. The freshman incumbent has declined to say if he'll support Trump as the nominee. The Cook Political Report recently changed its outlook in the staunchly GOP district from a "Lean Republican" to a "Toss Up," The Hill reports.
• Wisconsin Rep. Reid Ribble's retirement opens up an opportunity for Democrats in a district that has alternated between the two parties in recent years. The GOP primary already has three contenders, while multiple Democrats are still weighing whether to launch candidacies, The Hill reports.
• Florida Rep. John Mica. The demographics of his district have changed with the state's redrawn congressional map, The Hill reports, noting the population now consists of almost 21 percent Latino. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has pinpointed Mica's district as a target, The Hill reports.
• Arizona Rep. Martha McSally. Her GOP-leaning Tucson district has a large Hispanic population, and Democrats and outside groups like EMILY's List have already sought to link her to Trump, The Hill reports.
• California Rep. Steve Knight. The Hill reports the lawmaker has been one of Democrats' top targets. For his own part, Knight told the Santa Clarita Valley Signal that Trump could not "win the general [election] in a million years."
• Virginia Rep. Barbara Comstock. Her district consists of Beltway suburbs and she's portrayed herself as a moderate. A former Rubio supporter, Comstock also has been distancing herself from Trump, The Hill reports.
• Kansas Rep. Kevin Yoder. The lawmaker faces an ethics complaint from last year alleging that he received campaign contributions from payday lenders while also backing a bill that would deregulate the industry, The Hill reports.
• New York Rep. John Katko. The Syracuse-area district has been one of the few swing seats in the House, but voters went for President Barack Obama twice. The Cook Political Report recently upgraded the district from "Lean Republican" to a "Toss Up," The Hill reports.

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