Changes

For example, San Francisco is a heavily Democratic area, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi represents a "safe seat" there.  Indeed, more than 335 out of the 435 House seats represent districts that are safely Republican or safely Democratic.  In those districts, the only way to defeat an incumbent (the person in office running for reelection) is to defeat him in the primary.

For example, San Francisco is a heavily Democratic area, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi represents a "safe seat" there.  Indeed, more than 335 out of the 435 House seats represent districts that are safely Republican or safely Democratic.  In those districts, the only way to defeat an incumbent (the person in office running for reelection) is to defeat him in the primary.

With the advent of the internet, there is up-to-the minute analysis of the likely outcomes in every election.  One site, "Realclearpolitics" (you might consider that website name to be an "oxymoron", or self-contradictory term, because politics is rarely "clear") provided this analysis on August 1:

With the advent of the internet, there is up-to-the minute analysis of the likely outcomes in every election.  One site, "RealClearPolitics"(you might consider that website name to be an "oxymoron", or self-contradictory term, because politics is rarely "clear") provided this analysis on August 1:

*U.S. House of Representatives: 202 seats likely to be retained or won by Democrats in the election, 201 seats likely to be retained or won by Republicans in the election, and 32 "toss-up" seats that can be won by either side.

*U.S. House of Representatives: 202 seats likely to be retained or won by Democrats in the election, 201 seats likely to be retained or won by Republicans in the election, and 32 "toss-up" seats that can be won by either side.