This story was originally published on nationaljournal.com on June 17, 2016. The range of emotions for most Republicans I know—from present and former members of Congress, to Hill staff, to lobbyists and campaign consultants, to state and local politicians—runs from deep concern to total despair. Their arch nemesis, Hillary Clinton, has extremely high negatives and all sorts of political vulnerabilities. But she’s the odds-on favorite to win the presidency, and a lot of down-ballot Democrats are apt to ride her slipstream to win seats in the Senate and the House. Republicans hear a loud sucking sound of hundreds of elected officials sinking into the quicksand candidacy of Donald Trump, a man who cares very little about their party. How bad could it be for the GOP? I still have very serious doubts that Republicans will lose more than 10 to 20 seats in the House, shy of the 30-seat net gain that Democrats would need to flip the chamber. Congressional district boundaries and population patterns provide a defense against a Trump-created tsunami. The over and under might be Republicans losing

More from the Cook Political Report

Archives1984-2022
Free
CPR Archives
dw