Pelosi: House Democrats Hoping for 27-Seat Gain -- Underwritten by the American Petroleum Institute

Margot Sanger-Katz

House Democrats hope to pick up a minimum of 27 seats to reclaim the majority, most of them in states that are not battlegrounds in the presidential election, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said on Tuesday.

  • At an event hosted by National Journal and The Atlantic at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, Pelosi said she expects half of the pickups to come from four states: Texas, California, Illinois and New York. A total of approximately 20 will come from those states and Maryland, Washington and Arizona.

  • The remainder, Pelosi said, will come from states where President Obama is actively campaigning: Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Nevada and perhaps Pennsylvania.

  • Twelve of the seats will come from districts currently held by Republicans but won by John Kerry in 2004 and Obama in 2008, she said. Fifteen more will be in states held by Republicans but won by the president in 2008. ”The opportunity is there—it’s this close,” she said.

  • Although House Republicans are confident they will add to their majority, Pelosi described the estimates as the “most conservative, cold-blooded, clear-eyed, worst-case scenario,” citing a recent Democracy Corps poll showing the Democratic candidate ahead by six or more points in the 27 seats.