2008 United States House of Representatives election ratings

The 2008 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 4, 2008, with early voting taking place in some states in the weeks preceding that date. Voters chose representatives from all 435 congressional districts across each of the 50 U.S. states. Non-voting delegates from the District of Columbia and all five inhabited U.S. territories were also elected. These elections took place alongside the election of Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois as President of the United States. The winners served in the 111th United States Congress, with seats apportioned among the states based on the 2000 United States census. On Election Day, Democrats had held a House majority since January 2007 as a result of the 2006 elections.

2008 United States House of Representatives election ratings

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Forecasts

On April 8, 2008, analyst Stuart Rothenberg of The Rothenberg Political Report stated that the fight for the House would be a "one-sided battle, with Democrats having most of the targets." He points to a list of one dozen seats (out of all 435 seats in the House) that are most likely to change hands, of those twelve, ten are open seats, seats which Republicans won by 3% or less in 2006 or otherwise endangered GOP seats.[1] In May 2007, conservative columnist Robert Novak wrote that he believed there were at least a few House seats that were won by Democrats in 2006 "solely because of GOP corruption," and that such seats would be "the most likely to return to the Republican column in 2008". He also said,

a continued sour mood over the Iraq War could produce another massive Republican defeat in 2008 that makes 2006 look tame by comparison. Republicans in Washington generally concede that the continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq by next November could mean disaster for the party.

Novak qualified this by saying that in "previous elections, major House gains by either party have always been followed by losses in the next election".[2]

InTrade.com, the only betting site that offered odds on control of the House, put the likelihood of the Democrats retaining control at about 90% as of October 2008.[3] There have been three special elections for open Republican seats, IL-14 (formerly held by Dennis Hastert), LA-06 (formerly held by Richard Baker) and MS-01 (formerly held by Roger Wicker). Democrats won all three elections. After the MS-01 loss, Ron Gunzburger wrote, "GOP insiders in DC now privately acknowledge the Democratic victory in this seat likely foreshadows a dismal general election ahead for congressional Republicans."[4]

Election ratings

The following table rates the competitiveness of selected races from around the country according to noted political analysts. Races not included should be considered safe for the incumbent's party.

DistrictCPVIIncumbentPrevious
result
Cook
November 7, 2008[5]
Rothenberg
November 2, 2008[6]
Sabato
November 3, 2008[7]
RCP
November 7, 2008[8]
CQ Politics
November 6, 2008[9]
Winner
Alabama 2R+13Terry Everett (R) (retiring)69.5% RTossupTossupLean RTossupTossupBobby Bright (D)
Alabama 3R+4Mike Rogers (R)59.4% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RMike Rogers (R)
Alabama 5R+6Bud Cramer (D) (retiring)98.3% DTossupTossupLean DLean DTossupParker Griffith (D)
Alaska at-largeR+14Don Young (R)56.8% RTossupLikely D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Don Young (R)
Arizona 1R+2Rick Renzi (R) (retiring)51.8% RLikely D (flip)Likely D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Ann Kirkpatrick (D)
Arizona 3R+6John Shadegg (R)59.3% RLean RLikely RLean RLean RLean RJohn Shadegg (R)
Arizona 5R+4Harry Mitchell (D)50.4% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLean DHarry Mitchell (D)
Arizona 8R+1Gabby Giffords (D)54.3% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLean DGabby Giffords (D)
California 3R+7Dan Lungren (R)59.5% RLikely RLikely RSafe RSafe RLikely RDan Lungren (R)
California 4R+11John Doolittle (R) (retiring)49.9% RTossupTossupLean D (flip)TossupTossupTom McClintock (R)
California 11R+3Jerry McNerney (D)53.2% DLean DLean DLean DSafe DLikely DJerry McNerney (D)
California 26R+4David Dreier (R)57.0% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RDavid Dreier (R)
California 45R+3Mary Bono (R)60.7% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RSafe RMary Bono (R)
California 46R+6Dana Rohrabacher (R)59.6% RLikely RLikely RSafe RSafe RLikely RDana Rohrabacher (R)
California 50R+5Brian Bilbray (R)53.2% RLean RSafe RLean RSafe RLikely RBrian Bilbray (R)
Colorado 4R+9Marilyn Musgrave (R)45.6% RTossupLean D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupLean D (flip)Betsy Markey (D)
Connecticut 2D+8Joe Courtney (D)50.0% DSafe DSafe DSafe DSafe DLikely DJoe Courtney (D)
Connecticut 4D+5Chris Shays (R)50.9% RTossupTilt D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupTossupJim Himes (D)
Connecticut 5D+4Chris Murphy (D)56.5% DSafe DSafe DSafe DSafe DLean DChris Murphy (D)
Florida 8R+3Ric Keller (R)52.8% RTossupLean D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupLean D (flip)Alan Grayson (D)
Florida 13R+4Vern Buchanan (R)50.1% RLikely RLikely RLean RSafe RLean RVern Buchanan (R)
Florida 15R+4Dave Weldon (R)56.3% RSafe RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RDave Weldon (R)
Florida 16R+2Tim Mahoney (D)49.5% DLikely R (flip)Likely R (flip)Lean R (flip)Lean R (flip)Lean R (flip)Tom Rooney (R)
Florida 18R+4Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R)62.1% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RIleana Ros-Lehtinen (R)
Florida 21R+6Lincoln Díaz-Balart (R)59.5% RTossupTossupLean RTossupLean RLincoln Díaz-Balart (R)
Florida 22D+4Ron Klein (D)50.9% DSafe DSafe DSafe DSafe DLikely DRon Klein (D)
Florida 24R+3Tom Feeney (R)57.9% RLean D (flip)Likely D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Suzanne Kosmas (D)
Florida 25R+4Mario Díaz-Balart (R)58.5% RTossupTilt RLean D (flip)TossupLean RMario Díaz-Balart (R)
Georgia 8R+8Jim Marshall (D)50.5% DLean DTilt DLean DLean DLean DJim Marshall (D)
Georgia 12D+2John Barrow (D)50.3% DSafe DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DJohn Barrow (D)
Georgia 13D+10David Scott (D)50.3% DSafe DSafe DSafe DSafe DLikely DDavid Scott (D)
Idaho 1R+19Bill Sali (R)49.9% RLean D (flip)Tilt D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupTossupWalt Minnick (D)
Illinois 6R+3Peter Roskam (R)51.4% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RPeter Roskam (R)
Illinois 8R+5Melissa Bean (D)50.9% DSafe DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DMelissa Bean (D)
Illinois 10D+4Mark Kirk (R)53.4% RTossupTilt RLean D (flip)TossupTossupMark Kirk (R)
Illinois 11R+1Jerry Weller (R) (retiring)55.1% RLean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Debbie Halvorson (D)
Illinois 13R+5Judy Biggert (R)58.3% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RJudy Biggert (R)
Illinois 14R+5Bill Foster (D)52.5% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DBill Foster (D)
Illinois 18R+5Ray LaHood (R) (retiring)67.3% RSafe RSafe RLean RSafe RLikely RAaron Schock (R)
Indiana 3R+16Mark Souder (R)54.3% RLean RLikely RLean RLean RLean RMark Souder (R)
Indiana 8R+9Brad Ellsworth (D)61.0% DSafe DSafe DLean DSafe DSafe DBrad Ellsworth (D)
Indiana 9R+7Baron Hill (D)50.0% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DBaron Hill (D)
Iowa 4EvenTom Latham (R)57.4% RLikely RSafe RLean RSafe RLikely RTom Latham (R)
Kansas 2R+7Nancy Boyda (D)50.6% DLean DTilt DLean DLean R (flip)TossupLynn Jenkins (R)
Kansas 3R+4Dennis Moore (D)56.4% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DDennis Moore (D)
Kentucky 2R+13Ron Lewis (R) (retiring)55.4% RTossupTossupLean RLean RLean RBrett Guthrie (R)
Kentucky 3D+2John Yarmuth (D)50.6% DLikely DSafe DLean DLean DLikely DJohn Yarmuth (D)
Louisiana 1R+18Steve Scalise (R)75.1% RSafe RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RSteve Scalise (R)
Louisiana 2D+28William Jefferson (D)56.6% DSafe DSafe DSafe DSafe DSafe DJoseph Cao (R)
Louisiana 4R+7Jim McCrery (R) (retiring)57.4% RTossupTossupLean RLean RTossupJohn Fleming (R)
Louisiana 6R+7Don Cazayoux (D)49.2% DTossupTossupLean DLean DTossupBill Cassidy (R)
Louisiana 7R+7Charles Boustany (R)70.7% RLikely RSafe RLean RSafe RLikely RCharles Boustany (R)
Maine 1D+6Tom Allen (D) (retiring)[a]60.8% DSafe DSafe DSafe DSafe DLikely DChellie Pingree (D)
Maryland 1R+10Wayne Gilchrest (R) (lost renomination)68.8% RTossupTossupLean RLean RTossupFrank Kratovil (D)
Michigan 7R+2Tim Walberg (R)49.9% RTossupTossupLean D (flip)TossupTossupMark Schauer (D)
Michigan 8R+2Mike Rogers (R)55.3% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RSafe RMike Rogers (R)
Michigan 9EvenJoe Knollenberg (R)51.6% RTossupLean D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupLean D (flip)Gary Peters (D)
Michigan 11R+1Thaddeus McCotter (R)54.1% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RSafe RThaddeus McCotter (R)
Minnesota 1R+1Tim Walz (D)52.7% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DTim Walz (D)
Minnesota 2R+3John Kline (R)56.2% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RJohn Kline (R)
Minnesota 3R+1Jim Ramstad (R) (retiring)64.9% RTossupTilt D (flip)Lean RTossupTossupErik Paulsen (R)
Minnesota 6R+5Michele Bachmann (R)50.1% RTossupTilt D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupTossupMichele Bachmann (R)
Mississippi 1R+10Travis Childers (D)53.8% DLikely DSafe DLean DLean DLean DTravis Childers (D)
Missouri 6R+5Sam Graves (R)61.6% RLean RSafe RLean RLean RLean RSam Graves (R)
Missouri 9R+7Kenny Hulshof (R) (retiring)61.4% RTossupTilt RLean RLean RLean RBlaine Luetkemeyer (R)
Nebraska 2R+9Lee Terry (R)54.7% RTossupTilt D (flip)Lean RSafe RLean RLee Terry (R)
Nevada 2R+8Dean Heller (R)50.4% RLean RLikely RLean RSafe RLean RDean Heller (R)
Nevada 3D+1Jon Porter (R)48.5% RTossupTilt D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupTossupDina Titus (D)
New Hampshire 1EvenCarol Shea-Porter (D)51.3% DTossupTilt DLean DTossupTossupCarol Shea-Porter (D)
New Hampshire 2D+3Paul Hodes (D)52.7% DSafe DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DPaul Hodes (D)
New Jersey 3D+3Jim Saxton (R) (retiring)58.4% RTossupTilt D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupTossupJohn Adler (D)
New Jersey 5R+8Scott Garrett (R)54.9% RLikely RSafe RLean RSafe RLikely RScott Garrett (R)
New Jersey 7R+1Mike Ferguson (R) (retiring)49.4% RTossupTossupLean D (flip)TossupTossupLeonard Lance (R)
New Mexico 1D+2Heather Wilson (R) (retiring)[a]50.2% RLean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupMartin Heinrich (D)
New Mexico 2R+6Steve Pearce (R) (retiring)[a]59.4% RTossupLean D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupTossupHarry Teague (D)
New York 13D+1Vito Fossella (R) (retiring)56.8% RLikely D (flip)Likely D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Likely D (flip)Michael McMahon (D)
New York 19R+1John Hall (D)51.2% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DJohn Hall (D)
New York 20R+3Kirsten Gillibrand (D)53.1% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLean DKirsten Gillibrand (D)
New York 24R+1Mike Arcuri (D)52.0% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DMike Arcuri (D)
New York 25D+3James Walsh (R) (retiring)50.8% RLikely D (flip)Likely D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Likely D (flip)Dan Maffei (D)
New York 26R+3Thomas Reynolds (R) (retiring)52.0% RTossupTilt RLean RSafe RLean RChris Lee (R)
New York 29R+5Randy Kuhl (R)51.0% RTossupTilt D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupLean D (flip)Eric Massa (D)
North Carolina 5R+15Virginia Foxx (R)57.2% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RSafe RVirginia Foxx (R)
North Carolina 8R+3Robin Hayes (R)50.1% RTossupLean D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupTossupLarry Kissell (D)
North Carolina 10R+15Patrick McHenry (R)61.8% RSafe RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RPatrick McHenry (R)
Ohio 1R+1Steve Chabot (R)52.3% RTossupTossupLean D (flip)TossupTossupSteve Driehaus (D)
Ohio 2R+13Jean Schmidt (R)50.5% RLean RLean RLean RLean RLean RJean Schmidt (R)
Ohio 7R+6Dave Hobson (R) (retiring)60.6% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RSteve Austria (R)
Ohio 12R+1Pat Tiberi (R)57.3% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RPat Tiberi (R)
Ohio 14R+2Steve LaTourette (R)57.6% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RSteve LaTourette (R)
Ohio 15R+1Deborah Pryce (R) (retiring)50.2% RLean D (flip)Tilt D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupLean D (flip)Mary Jo Kilroy (D)
Ohio 16R+4Ralph Regula (R) (retiring)58.3% RLean D (flip)Likely D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)John Boccieri (D)
Ohio 18R+6Zack Space (D)62.1% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DZack Space (D)
Oklahoma 1R+13John Sullivan (R)63.6% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RSafe RJohn Sullivan (R)
Oklahoma 4R+13Tom Cole (R)64.6% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RSafe RTom Cole (R)
Oregon 5D+1Darlene Hooley (D) (retiring)54.0% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DKurt Schrader (D)
Pennsylvania 3R+2Phil English (R)53.6% RTossupTilt D (flip)Lean D (flip)TossupTossupKathy Dahlkemper (D)
Pennsylvania 4R+3Jason Altmire (D)51.9% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DJason Altmire (D)
Pennsylvania 5R+10John Peterson (R) (retiring)60.1% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RSafe RGlenn Thompson (R)
Pennsylvania 6D+2Jim Gerlach (R)52.1% RLikely RSafe RLean RSafe RLikely RJim Gerlach (R)
Pennsylvania 8D+3Patrick Murphy (D)50.3% DSafe DSafe DLean DSafe DLikely DPatrick Murphy (D)
Pennsylvania 10R+8Chris Carney (D)52.9% DLean DLikely DLean DTossupLean DChris Carney (D)
Pennsylvania 11D+5Paul Kanjorski (D)72.5% DTossupTossupLean R (flip)Lean R (flip)TossupPaul Kanjorski (D)
Pennsylvania 12D+5John Murtha (D)60.8% DLean DLikely DLean DLean DLean DJohn Murtha (D)
Pennsylvania 15D+2Charlie Dent (R)53.6% RLikely RSafe RLean RSafe RLikely RCharlie Dent (R)
Pennsylvania 18R+2Tim Murphy (R)57.8% RLikely RSafe RLean RSafe RLikely RTim Murphy (R)
South Carolina 1R+10Henry Brown (R)59.9% RLean RLean RLean RSafe RLean RHenry Brown (R)
South Carolina 2R+9Joe Wilson (R)62.6% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RJoe Wilson (R)
Texas 7R+16John Culberson (R)59.2% RLean RLikely RLean RSafe RLean RJohn Culberson (R)
Texas 10R+16Michael McCaul (R)55.3% RLean RLikely RLean RSafe RLean RMichael McCaul (R)
Texas 22R+15Nick Lampson (D)51.8% DTossupLean R (flip)Lean R (flip)Lean R (flip)TossupPete Olson (R)
Texas 23R+4Ciro Rodriguez (D)54.3% DLikely DSafe DLean DSafe DLean DCiro Rodriguez (D)
Virginia 2R+6Thelma Drake (R)51.3% RTossupTossupLean RLean RLean RGlenn Nye (D)
Virginia 5R+6Virgil Goode (R)59.1% RLean RLean RLean RLean RLean RTom Perriello (D)
Virginia 6R+11Bob Goodlatte (R)75.1% RSafe RSafe RSafe RLean RSafe RBob Goodlatte (R)
Virginia 10R+5Frank Wolf (R)58.8% RLikely RSafe RSafe RSafe RLikely RFrank Wolf (R)
Virginia 11R+1Tom Davis (R) (retiring)55.5% RLikely D (flip)Likely D (flip)Lean D (flip)Lean D (flip)Likely D (flip)Gerry Connolly (D)
Washington 8D+2Dave Reichert (R)51.5% RTossupTossupLean D (flip)TossupTossupDave Reichert (R)
West Virginia 2R+5Shelley Moore Capito (R)57.2% RLean RLikely RLean RSafe RLean RShelley Moore Capito (R)
Wisconsin 8R+4Steve Kagen (D)51.1% DLean DLikely DLean DTossupLean DSteve Kagen (D)
Wyoming at-largeR+19Barbara Cubin (R) (retiring)48.3% RLean RLean RLean RLean RTossupCynthia Lummis (R)
OverallD - 226
R - 174
35 tossups
D - 254
R - 167
14 tossups
D - 262
R - 173
D - 237
R - 171
26 tossups
D - 242
R - 167
26 tossups
D - 257
R - 178

References

Notes