With 24 seats needed to change the balance of power in the House from Republican to Democrat, one factor that could come into play ahead of the 2018 midterm elections are retirements among members of the GOP.
The New York Times' Nate Cohn recently broke down the numbers and determined that retirements could help Democrats take back some seats. And if they're able to gain other seats through election results, the GOP's majority in the chamber could potentially be at risk.
Four Republican members of the House have announced their intention not to run in 2018, while another lawmaker — Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa. — said he will resign after it became public that he had an affair.
Newsmax's John Gizzi reported that Murphy's seat won't likely turn blue, but the threat exists — especially with Democrats all over the country trying to tie every Republican politician and political candidate to President Donald Trump, a tactic that may or may not work.
A separate New York Times report last month claimed that Republicans are worried that other retirements in their ranks will follow those that have already been announced.
Trump's presidency has also spurred people on both sides of the political aisle (examples here and here) to run for House and Senate positions despite having no prior experience in politics — just as Trump did himself. That's another factor that could help influence whether the balance of power on Capitol Hill swings left or right.
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