The formal start of the U.S. midterm election campaign arrived Monday, with polling data showing widespread dissatisfaction over the Iraq war and broad appetite for political change. All 435 House seats, 34 Senate seats, and 36 governorships are among the offices at stake on 7 November.
Democrats need a net pickup of 15 House seats to claim a majority there, and six Senate seats to control that chamber. Independent analysts say at least a House takeover looks increasingly likely, with President George W. Bush's approval rating below 40 percent and roughly 65 percent of Americans telling pollsters the country is heading in the wrong direction.
The Rothenberg Political Report recently revised its forecast upward, projecting Democratic House gains of 15 to 20 seats. Cook Political Report publisher Charlie Cook said Democrats would almost certainly capture the House barring a dramatic shift before election day.
Several prominent Republican incumbents face unexpectedly competitive races, including Connecticut's Christopher Shays, Pennsylvania's Curt Weldon (challenged by retired vice admiral Joe Sestak), and Ohio's Deborah Pryce. In Rhode Island, a 12 September Republican primary pitting moderate Senator Lincoln Chafee against conservative Stephen Laffey could cost the party a seat it might otherwise hold.
Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean argued that Republican support for Bush's Iraq policy would prove costly at the polls, while Senate Republican Whip Mitch McConnell cautioned voters that a Democratic majority would threaten national security.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.