Changes

After the [[Democratic Party]] successes in the 2006 off-year election (when they recaptured Congress), augmented by more gains in the [[United States Presidential Election, 2008|Presidential Election of 2008]], the question is whether the Democrats will hold their gains or slip back.  Since the Democrats have an advantage of 257-178 in the House, the GOP must gain 40 seats to recapture control. Since the Democrats control the Senate 60-40 (counting the two independents), the GOP needs to gain 11 seats in the Senate to retake control<ref>A 50-50 tie would be broken by the vice president in favor of the Democrats.</ref>; but even a one-seat gain would allow the GOP to filibuster obnoxious bills, for 60 votes are needed to break a filibuster.

After the [[Democratic Party]] successes in the 2006 off-year election (when they recaptured Congress), augmented by more gains in the [[United States Presidential Election, 2008|Presidential Election of 2008]], the question is whether the Democrats will hold their gains or slip back.  Since the Democrats have an advantage of 257-178 in the House, the GOP must gain 40 seats to recapture control. Since the Democrats control the Senate 60-40 (counting the two independents), the GOP needs to gain 11 seats in the Senate to retake control<ref>A 50-50 tie would be broken by the vice president in favor of the Democrats.</ref>; but even a one-seat gain would allow the GOP to filibuster obnoxious bills, for 60 votes are needed to break a filibuster.

===Fund raising===

===Fund raising===

Although Democratic fund raising is significantly lower than the 2007-2008 election cycle <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/24/AR2009092404906.html?hpid=topnews</ref>, they have still gotten off to a faster start than Republicans in 2010. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had $10.2 million in the bank at the end of July, 2009, with debts of $5.3 million. The National Republican Congressional Committee had just $4 million in cash and owed $2.75 million.

Although Democratic fund raising is significantly lower than the 2007-2008 election cycle <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/24/AR2009092404906.html?hpid=topnews</ref>, they have still gotten off to a faster start than Republicans. By January 2010 Democratic candidates and party committees had raised a total of $396.5 million for the midterms, with $50 million on hand and $10 million debts. Republicans had raised just $204.7 million, with about $30 million on hand and about $6 million in debts. For the House elections Democratic candidates had raised $151 million and Republicans $109 million. In the Senate  elections Democratic candidates had raised $98 million and Republicans $67 million.<ref> for latest updates see [http://www.opensecrets.org/ OpenSecrets.org]</ref>

 

The GOP has a financial lead in Senate races. The NRSC has raised $37.1 for the first 11 months of the year – a significant improvement from its fundraising performance at the same time last election cycle, while the DSCC has only raised $28.7 million. <ref>http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/1209/NRSC_outraised_DSCC_in_November.html</ref>

===2009 elections===

===2009 elections===