What Went Down In The Indiana Primary

And P.S. to that House post: Our ratings at the Cook Political Report show that Democrats would need to win 34 of 36 competitive seats to win the House. That’s an extremely tall order.

In the House, where Democrats would need to pick up 30 seats, Republicans are more insulated by gerrymandering and the fact that filing deadlines are now closed in over 80 percent of districts. On a micro level, it’s extremely difficult to count 30 GOP seats that Democrats have a chance to win. But on a macro level, if Clinton does end up beating Trump by more than 8 points nationally, there could be some surprises, particularly in highly educated and heavily minority districts. So maybe Trump changes my range from Dems picking up five to 15 seats to perhaps 10 to 20, but that’s still a long way from 30.

Trump’s nomination will put the Senate super in play. Democrats only need four seats, if Clinton wins the presidency. Democrats are already winning in Illinois and Wisconsin. They may be up in Ohio, if you believe some of the polls. The races in Florida and New Hampshire are too close to call. And now we’re hearing murmurs that Iowa, Missouri and North Carolina could be in play. As for the House, I’m less sure. Yes, Trump could erode the Republican hold on it, and I know our own Dave Wasserman and The Cook Political Report has been moving races more toward the Democratic column. Still, that’s far harder to project given that Democrats need to pick up 30 seats for a majority.